Judge Albright Issues Ex Parte TRO Blocking Foreign Efforts to Interfere with U.S. Patent Jurisdiction in BMW Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2025

WASHINGTON, DC— The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas has issued an ex parte Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) filed by Finnegan on behalf of Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (BMW) against Onesta IP, LLC (Onesta) (Case No. 6:25-cv-00581). The case is presided over by Judge Alan D. Albright. 

The Court found good cause to immediately restrain Onesta from pursuing or enforcing foreign court actions that would interfere with the adjudication of U.S. patent rights, including efforts in the Munich Regional Court I. Judge Albright concluded that there is a substantial risk of irreparable harm to BMW—and to the jurisdiction of the U.S. court itself—if Onesta were permitted to continue its foreign litigation strategy unchecked. The TRO was issued within one day of filing. 

As the Court recognized, Onesta’s conduct threatens to undermine U.S. patent law by attempting to use foreign proceedings to restrict BMW’s ability to litigate U.S. patent issues in a U.S. forum. The Court finds that the status quo should be maintained while it evaluates and rules on BMW’s request for an anti-suit injunction, which would bar Onesta from pursuing infringement actions on U.S. patents in foreign jurisdictions.

Finnegan will continue to pursue all available remedies to ensure that disputes involving U.S. patents are resolved in the proper forum and that foreign proceedings are not misused to undermine U.S. law.

Contacts

Terra Liddell, Chief Marketing Officer
terra.liddell@finnegan.com

Angela Robinson, Director of Branding and Communications
angela.robinson@finnegan.com

About Finnegan
When your most valuable assets are ideas, innovation, and brand—you need the best to protect them. Finnegan, a premier intellectual property law firm, is trusted by global leaders to protect and advance what sets them apart. With 11 offices across the globe, we bring local insight and global reach to every IP challenge. We are located in Atlanta, Boston, London, Munich, Palo Alto, Reston, Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo and Washington, DC. From high-stakes litigation to cutting-edge patent strategy and innovative brand management, we deliver unmatched depth, agility, and results. If it is IP, it is Finnegan. Please visit us at www.finnegan.com or follow us on LinkedIn to see how we’re shaping the future of IP, one breakthrough at a time.