Patent Owner May Seek Attorneys’ Fees After Settling Suit

A patent owner may seek attorneys’ fees after settling a lawsuit accusing him of stealing the design of his invention from his former employer, the Federal Circuit held.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon improperly applied to the case a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision involving the voluntary dismissal of a class action, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said.

The Supreme Court’s concerns about finality and piecemeal litigation aren’t raised by the patent owner’s attorneys’ fees request, the court said.

As a result of the ruling, parties that agree to dismiss infringement claims ...