Apple closes two Dallas stores in apparent bid to ward off patent trolls

Enlarge / Apple's new store will be at the Galleria Dallas. In addition to being a beautiful mall, it's also outside the reach of the notoriously patent-friendly Eastern District of Texas. (credit: jinjian liang / Flickr)
Apple is closing two Apple stores in the northern suburbs of Dallas in an apparent bid to ward off litigation from patent trolls. The stores are in the Eastern District of Texas, a federal court jurisdiction notorious for its friendliness to patent holders. As Joe Rossignol at MacRumors points out, closing the two stores will make it easier for Apple to resist being dragged into Eastern District courtrooms in patent cases.
Apple confirmed the closings in a statement to TechCrunch, though the company didn't say whether the move was patent-related.

The Eastern District wraps around to the North of Dallas, covering Dallas suburbs like Plano and Frisco. Apple currently operates two stores north of Dallas that fall into the Eastern District: Apple Willow Bend and Apple Stonebriar.
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