Court Opinion

ID: 9627731
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:52:43.288016+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:39:15.742866
License: Public Domain

EDWARD WEINFELD, Judge of the Panel
(dissenting and concurring in the
dissent of Judge WEIGEL):
The multiplicity of suits brought against various defendants to recover relatively small damages based upon a patent which has already expired and the delay of eight years suggest harassment and a hope that the heavy expense of defending the actions will lead the defendants to settle rather than to fight. There is much substance to the defendants’ contentions of excessive inconvenience and burdensome financial expense, and also that infingement is peculiar in the instance of each defendant. While it is true that some issues, such as the scope of the patent and its validity, are common in all cases, this is not so as to other issues. In my view, it would not, under the circumstances here presented, promote the just and efficient conduct of these particular actions to transfer them to one district for consolidation and coordinated pretrial proceedings.
*519SCHEDULE A
Southern District of California
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. San Diego Contact Lens Laboratory, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-126-S
Eastern District of New York
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Ocular Products, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 1147
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Danker & Wohlk, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 1255
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Mastercraft Contact Lens Labs, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 1256
Southern District of New York
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Para Lens, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4003
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Precision Contact Lens Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4019
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Optimum Contact Lenses, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4020
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. 5 Continents Contact Lens, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4474
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Vent Air Contact Lens Laboratories
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4471
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. United Contact Lens Corp.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4472
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Full Sight Contact Lens Corp.
Civil Action No. 69 Civ 4473
Northern District of Texas
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Dal-Tex Optical Co.
Civil Action No. CA-3-3331-B
Western District of Texas
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Contour Comfort Contact Lens, Inc.
Civil Action No. W-69-CA-48
Southern District of Ohio
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Carskadden Optical Co., Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-270
Middle District of Pennsylvania
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Morrison Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-339
Western District of Pennsylvania
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Erie Contact Lens Laboratory, Inc.
Civil Action No. CA 98-69-Erie
*520District of Massachusetts
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Young Contact Lens Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-969-M
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Custom Contact Lens Lab Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-1118-M
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Quality Optics, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-1119-M
Northern District of Georgia
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Quality Optics, Inc.
Civil Action No. 13099
Northern District of Illinois
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Oculus Contact Lens Co., Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 C 1812
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Contact Lens Service, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 C 2184
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Custom Contact Lens Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 C 2186
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Fused Kontacts of Chicago, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69 C 2185
Eastern District of Michigan
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Custom Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 33380
Western District of Kentucky
George H. Butterfield. Sr. v. SCL Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 6376
Eastern District of Louisiana
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Custom Contact Lens Laboratories, Inc.
Civil Action No. 69-2346
District of Nebraska
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Precision Optics, Inc.
Civil Action No. 03403
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Rite-Style Optical Co., Inc.
Civil Action No. 03404
Western District of Oklahoma
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Professional Research Contact Lens, Inc.
Civil Action No. Civ-69-449
Western District of Washington
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Peninsula Optical
Civil Action No. 8607
Northern District of California
George H. Butterfield, Sr. v. Pace Optical Co., Inc.
Civil Action No. C69-18 GSL