PKWare v. Meade
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
79 F. Supp. 2d 1007 (E.D. Wis. 2000)
PKWare (plaintiff), a Milwaukee software company, sued Ohio resident Timothy Meade and his Ohio-incorporated company, Ascent Solutions, Inc. (ASI) (defendants), in Wisconsin federal court, asserting state-law, trademark, copyright, and patent-infringement claims arising from a contract negotiated mostly by phone and email with only one trip by Meade to Milwaukee; ASI maintained a website and advertised in publications reaching Wisconsin. The defendants moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and improper venue.
Whether a federal court may hear a case, or exercise pendent venue over a claim, where venue is proper for some claims against some defendants but not for a particular claim under that claim's own specific venue statute.