Federal Circuit Chides Patent Lawyers for Evading Word Limits

Lawyers for a shower-curtain company and its importer were dressed down by the Federal Circuit’s chief judge Monday for teaming up in their briefs to get around the court’s strict word limits as they appealed nearly $4 million in damages and attorneys’ fees.

Kartri Sales Co. and Marquis Mills International Inc. at first “attempted to incorporate each other’s briefs by reference, which would have literally doubled your word count” and left appellee Focus Products Group “at quite a disadvantage,” said Chief Judge Kimberly A. Moore told lawyers for the two companies at the start of oral argument in the appeal. ...