Some companies dragged into patent suits by forum-shopping plaintiffs have denounced the East Texas community as a defendants' nightmare, but to others it's Home Sweet Hellhole:

State Rep. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) urges local residents to join their national legislators in opposing patent legislation that would practically shut down Marshall's federal court.

Hughes met last week with city and county officials and those concerned with downtown development for a strategy planning session at Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting was called after The Marshall News Messenger quoted local lawyers as predicting an amendment included in the Patent Reform Act of 2007 would reduce by 95 percent the number of intellectual properties cases heard here in U.S. District Court.

Proposed by U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the amendment limits venue in most patent cases to ...New York, Massachusetts and California.

The article, in the Marshall News Messenger, quotes Rep. Hughes as saying that Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert "are standing up for us." For more on the patent legislation, see the Jones Day site.