“The appearance of a trial by peers is maintained. But the outcome is determined by ‘qualified’ experts.” The Jury Speaks in Vain The jury found infringement. After hearing testimony about web design patents, user interface objects, and the inner workings of Shopify’s e-commerce platform, the citizen jurors concluded that Shopify had infringed Express Mobile’s patents. They awarded $40 million in damages. The verdict didn’t survive. Shopify moved for judgment as a matter of l

“Google (and the court) used these letters for precisely what Rule 408 forbids: to prove that EscapeX’s infringement claims lacked merit.” Introduction On its face, EscapeX IP, LLC v. Google LLC reads like a cautionary tale ripped from the patent litigation playbook. A non-practicing entity (“NPE” or pejoratively “patent troll”) you’ve never heard of sues a tech giant over a patent covering “artist-specified dynamic albums,” a function of YouTube.   The NPE ignores the defen

“ The rules say little about the scope of investigation but instead focus their efforts on defining ‘improper contact’—creating a system where anything goes so long as jurors never find out. ”   I. Introduction   In the high-stakes world of courtroom battles, where every detail can tip the scales, a seemingly routine step in trial preparation recently backfired spectacularly. On October 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick sanctioned a prestigious law firm $10,000