Legal Question in Intellectual Property in California
In case of copyright infringement were multiple parties involved, do I need to file against each party in their state, or can I file against all parties in one federal court ?
2 Answers from Attorneys
The question you ask involves the concept of "personal jurisdiction."
You can always sue each defendant in their home state. You can often sue them in other states, but it isn't automatic. Personal jurisdiction will have to be analyzed individually for each defendant to determine where they can be sued. Maybe they all can be sued in one state, and maybe they can't. Unfortunately, there aren't enough facts in your question to let anyone help you figure this out.
The best answer to your question is to say that you should not do this yourself at all. If you are planning to sue someone for copyright infringement, you need to hire a lawyer who is an expert in that area. That person will know the rules about jurisdiction, and should be able to answer questions about the best place the file the suit in your initial interview.
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