Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique v. CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONIC CORP.

293 F. Supp. 2d 430
CourtDistrict Court, D. Delaware
DecidedNovember 21, 2003
DocketCIV.A.03-484-KAJ
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 293 F. Supp. 2d 430 (Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique v. CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONIC CORP.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique v. CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONIC CORP., 293 F. Supp. 2d 430 (D. Del. 2003).

Opinion

293 F.Supp.2d 430 (2003)

COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE, Plaintiff,
v.
CHI MEI OPTOELECTRONICS CORPORATION; Dell Computer Corporation; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Samsung Electronics America, Inc.; Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc.; Samsung International, Inc.; Sun Microsystems, Inc.; and Viewsonic Corporation, Defendants.

No. CIV.A.03-484-KAJ.

United States District Court, D. Delaware.

November 21, 2003.

*431 *432 Richard D. Kirk, Morris, James, Hitchens & Williams LLP, Wilmington, DE, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Washington, DC (Gaspare J. Bono, Song K. Jung, Rel S. Ambrozy, Matthew T. Bailey-of counsel), for plaintiff.

William J. Marsden, Jr., Eugene J. Joswick, Fish & Richardson, P.C., Wilmington, DE, Fish & Richardson, P.C., Washington, D.C. (Michael J. McKeon, Brian T. Racilla, of counsel) for defendant Chi Mei Optoelectronics.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JORDAN, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This is a patent infringement case. Jurisdiction is proper under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338. Plaintiff Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique ("CEA") instituted this action on May 19, 2003, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 4,701,028 and 4,889,412, which are both owned by CEA. (Docket Item ["D.I."] 1 at 2, 8.) On September 22, 2003, I issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order granting defendant Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corporation's ("CMO") Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction (the "Motion to Dismiss"). (D.I.53, 54.) Presently before me is CEA's Motion for Reconsideration, or in the alternative, for Entry of Judgment Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b) or for Certification Under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) (the "Motion"). (D.I.55.) For the reasons that follow, CEA's Motion will be granted in part and denied in part.

II. BACKGROUND

The facts and procedural background of this case are set forth in a prior opinion, reported at Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique v. Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corporation, et al., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18676 (D.Del. Sept. 22, 2003) (dismissing case against CMO for lack of personal jurisdiction). On October 6, 2003, CEA filed the instant Motion, asking me to reconsider my September 22, 2003 Order and allow CEA to conduct jurisdictional discovery to establish that CMO is subject to personal jurisdiction in Delaware. (D.I. 55 at 1.) CEA also argues, in the alternative, for the entry of final judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b) or certification under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), in order to allow for an immediate appeal of my decision to dismiss CMO from this litigation. (D.I. 55 at 9.)

III. STANDARD OF REVIEW

Motions for reconsideration should be granted only "sparingly." Karr v. Castle, 768 F.Supp. 1087, 1090 (D.Del. 1991). In this district, motions for reconsideration are granted only if it appears that the court has patently misunderstood a party, has made a decision outside the adversarial issues presented by the parties, or has made an error not of reasoning, but of apprehension. Brambles USA, Inc. v. Blocker, 735 F.Supp. 1239, 1240 (D.Del.1990) (citing Above the Belt, Inc. v. Mel Bohannan Roofing, Inc., 99 F.R.D. 99, 101 (E.D.Va.1983)). "Courts should be particularly vigilant that motions for reargument or reconsideration are not used as a means to argue new facts or issues that inexcusably were not presented to the court in the matter previously decided." Id.

Further, a district court should grant a motion for reconsideration which alters, amends, or offers relief from a judgment when: (1) there has been an intervening change in the controlling law; (2) there is newly discovered evidence which was not available to the moving *433 party at the time of judgment; or (3) there is a need to correct a legal or factual error which has resulted in a manifest injustice. See Max's Seafood Café by Lou Ann, Inc. v. Quinteros, 176 F.3d 669, 677 (3d Cir. 1999) (citation omitted).

In general, an order which terminates fewer than all claims, or claims against fewer than all parties, does not constitute a "final" order for purposes of appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. See Ultra-Precision Manufacturing Ltd. v. Ford Motor Co., 338 F.3d 1353, 1357 (Fed.Cir. 2003); see also Carter v. City of Philadelphia, et al., 181 F.3d 339, 343 (3d Cir. 1999). However, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b) provides for appeal of a single adjudicated claim while other claims remain unadjudicated and pending. Ultra-Precision, 338 F.3d at 1357. An order may be final and immediately appealable under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 when a district court makes an express determination that there is no just cause for delay and expressly directs entry of final judgment.[1]Nystrom v. TREX Co., 339 F.3d 1347, 1351 (Fed.Cir.2003); Carter, 181 F.3d at 343. Factors to be considered when determining whether there is any just reason for delaying appeal until disposition of plaintiff's claims against the remaining defendants include "whether the claims under review [are] separable from the others remaining to be adjudicated and whether the nature of the claims already determined is such that no appellate court would have to decide the same issues more than once even if there were subsequent appeals." Cemar, Inc. v. Nissan Motor Corp., 897 F.2d 120, 123 (3d Cir.1990) (citing Curtiss-Wright Corp. v. General Electric Co., 446 U.S. 1, 8, 100 S.Ct. 1460, 64 L.Ed.2d 1 (1980)).

A court may grant certification under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) when it is "of the opinion that such order involves a controlling question of law as to which there is substantial ground for difference of opinion and that an immediate appeal from the order may materially advance the ultimate termination of the litigation...." 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b); see also Katz v. Carte Blanche Corp., 496 F.2d 747, 754-55 (3d Cir.1974).

IV. DISCUSSION

1. CEA'S Motion for Reconsideration

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293 F. Supp. 2d 430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commissariat-a-lenergie-atomique-v-chi-mei-optoelectronic-corp-ded-2003.