In June of this year, the Supreme Court issued a decision in WesternGeco LLC v. Ion Geophysical Corp.  On its face, the case had minimal potential impact because it was limited to a more rarified form of infringement.  Now, however, the District Court in the long-running dispute between Power Integrations and Fairchild Semiconductor has suggested WesternGeco could justify taxing foreign sales for other forms of infringement of a United States patent.  And the Court has also kicked this question up to the Federal Circuit to decide.  Will damages for infringing a U.S. patent soon reach foreign sales? 

A case currently pending before the Supreme Court, WesternGeco LLC v. ION Geophysical Corp., may make it easier for U.S. businesses to fight IP theft abroad.