Tribal Sovereign Immunity Defense For Patent Review Questioned By Judge

(October 17, 2017, 1:52 PM EDT) -- MARSHALL, Texas — Out of an abundance of caution, and with “serious concerns” about a drugmaker’s attempt at shielding its patents from review by using an Indian tribe’s sovereign immunity, a Texas federal judge on Oct. 16 joined the tribe as a plaintiff in the drugmaker’s infringement lawsuit (Allergan, Inc. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., et al., No. 2:15-cv-1455, E.D. Texas, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 170825)....