Local Rule 2-1: Governing Procedure

LOCAL PATENT RULE 2-1 Governing Procedure

(a) Initial Case Management Conference. Prior to the Initial Case Management Conference with the Court, when the parties confer with each other pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f), in addition to the matters covered by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26, the parties must discuss and address in the Case Management Statement filed pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f), the following topics:

(1) Proposed modification of the deadlines provided for in the Patent Rules, and the effect of any such modification on the date and time of the Claim Construction Hearing, if any;

(2) Whether the Court will hear live testimony at the Claim Construction Hearing;

(3) The need for and any specific limits on discovery relating to claim construction, including depositions of witnesses, including expert witnesses;

(4) The order of presentation at the Claim Construction Hearing; and

(5) The scheduling of a Claim Construction Prehearing Conference to be held after the Joint Claim Construction and Prehearing Statement provided for in P. R. 4-3 has been filed.

(6) Whether the court should authorize the filing under seal of any documents containing confidential information.

(b) Further Case Management Conferences. To the extent that some or all of the matters provided for in P. R. 2-1 (a)(1) - (5) are not resolved or decided at the Initial Case Management Conference, the parties shall propose dates for further Case Management Conferences at which such matters shall be decided.

(c) Electronic Filings. All patents attached as exhibits to any filing submitted electronically shall be in searchable PDF format. Any other documents attached as exhibits to any filing submitted electronically should be in searchable PDF format whenever possible.