A recent Minnesota lawsuit between competing manufacturers of fitness equipment may have far-reaching implications on patent lawsuits for years to come.
In 2009, Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. sued Octane Fitness, LLC in federal court in Minnesota. After the district court granted Octane Fitness’s motion for summary judgment of non-infringement, Octane Fitness moved for an award of its attorneys’ fees. The district court, applying the existing standard for awarding fees, denied the motion. Eventually, the dispute reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Octane Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 1749 (2014), overturning existing case law and establishing a new standard for awarding fees in patent disputes.
