Monday, May 22, 2017

Sales of Broadcom Semiconductor Chips May Have Occurred Within the U.S. Despite Being "Ordered, Manufactured, Shipped, Billed, and Delivered to Buyers Abroad"​

The magistrate judge recommended denying defendant's motion for summary judgment that sales of its accused semiconductor products did not occur within the United States even though the products were "ordered, manufactured, shipped, billed, and delivered to buyers abroad." "[Defendant] designs and develops semiconductor chips domestically, but outsources the task of fabricating them to foundries in Asia. . . . [S]ummary judgment is proper only if the movant can demonstrate that, after viewing all facts in favor of non-movant, no reasonable juror could find that no substantial activities of a sales transaction occurred inside the United States. . . . A reasonable jury could find that many substantial activities relating to sales transactions occurred within the United States based on at least the fact that: . . . [T]he overwhelming majority of Defendants’ design, development, marketing and sales activities occur in the United States. . . . [Agreements] entered into in the United States govern the terms of purchase orders entered into outside the United States . . . Purchase orders entered into overseas may be processed and maintained by [defendant's[ domestic sales team . . . U.S. sales teams provide support to Defendants’ U.S. customers, and [defendant] categorizes its sales information and activity for internal purposes based on the location of end customers. . . . Defendants track sales commissions for sales of products made overseas as if they were domestic sales. . . . [Defendant uses products manufactured overseas to] determine sales force compensation."

Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v. Broadcom Limited et al, 2-16-cv-00134 (TXED May 18, 2017, Order) (Payne, MJ)

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