Google Successfully Transfers Another AdWords Case to California–Parts Geek v. US Auto Parts
By Eric Goldman
Parts Geek, LLC v. U.S. Auto Parts Network, Inc., 2010 WL 1381005 (D.N.J. April 1, 2010)
Google has successfully transferred another trademark lawsuit over AdWords to its home court in California based on the mandatory venue clause in its AdWords contract. This is the latest success Google has had invoking its venue clause; similar recent victories include the TradeComet and Flowbee rulings. Indeed, the only case I can recall where Google has unsuccessfully invoked its AdWords venue selection clause is the Rosetta Stone case (see this transcript from Sept. 2009). (There may be other failed efforts, but I can’t recall them). As a result, the Rosetta Stone case remains on the rocket docket with a trial scheduled for next month, but it appears some of Google’s other litigation parties will be moving to California.
The most interesting thing about this particular ruling is that the court doesn’t cite to either the TradeComet or Flowbee rulings in deciding for Google. Instead, the court anchors its decision in its putatively sui generis analysis of 3rd circuit caselaw.
The roster of pending AdWords cases (I most recently thoroughly double-checked the status of these cases on February 20, 2010):
* John Beck Amazing Profits v. Google and the companion Google v. John Beck Amazing Profits
* Jurin v. Google 1.0 (voluntarily dismissed), succeeded by Jurin v. Google 2.0