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ARTICLE · 19 JANUARY 2015

IP Bulletin, January 2015

In Octane Fitness LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 1749 (2014), decided in April 2014, the Supreme Court lowered the bar for obtaining attorneys’ fees in patent infringement cases.

United StatesIntellectual Property

The Nutter IP Bulletin provides periodic IP news updates and practical tips

Supreme Court Decision in Patent Case May Make it Easier to Obtain Attorneys' Fees in Trademark and Trade Dress Cases

In Octane Fitness LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 1749 (2014), decided in April 2014, the Supreme Court lowered the bar for obtaining attorneys' fees in patent infringement cases. Since then, there has been a rash of litigants attempting to cash in on their success in intellectual property litigation of all types—including trademark and trade dress litigation brought under the Lanham Act. Courts are currently divided as to whether Octane Fitness applies to the Lanham Act, although a greater weight of authority exists in favor of applying the Octane Fitness standard. Thus, at least in some Circuits, parties to trademark and trade dress infringement litigation should be aware that a lower standard may apply to the awarding of attorneys' fees to the

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