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Articles Posted in Sanctions

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UGG: Default Judgment and Treble Damages Entered Against Defendant Where Defendant Failed to Participate in Discovery

Plaintiff Deckers Outdoor Corporation (“Plaintiff”) alleged that Defendants Superstar International, Inc. and Sai Liu (“Defendants”) produce, advertise, and sell products that infringe Plaintiff’s design patents for UGG boots. The district court previously ruled that default judgment was appropriate, considering both the procedural requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b)…

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Court Denies Monetary Sanctions Based on Overdesignation of Documents As Confidential-Outside Counsel Eyes Only But Orders Defendants to Re-Designate Documents and Pay Cost for Redesignating Documents in the Plaintiff’s Document Management System

In this patent infringement action brought by plaintiff Trustees of Boston University (“BU”) , BU alleged that defendants infringed U.S. Patent No. 5,686,738 (the “‘738 Patent”), which pertains to light emitting diodes (“LEDs”). BU moved for sanctions against Defendants and their counsel for overdesignating documents as “Confidential-Outside Counsel Eyes Only.”…

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Finding of Exceptional Case Denied Due to Unclean Hands

In Gaymar Industries, Inc. v. Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Inc. et al, 1-08-cv-00299 (NYWD July 3, 2014, Order) (McCarthy, M.J.), the magistrate judge recommended denial of defendant’s request for reconsideration of its failed motion for attorneys’ fees under 35 U.S.C. §285 in light of Defendant’s unclean hands. After the court’s denial…

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District Court Refuses to Vacate Sanctions Ruling for Spoliation after Settlement

Digital-Vending Services International, LLC (“Digital-Vending”) filed a patent infringement action against The University of Phoenix, Inc. and Apollo Group, Inc. (“Defendants”). During the course of the litigation, the Magistrate Judge granted Defendants’ motion for sanctions for Digital-Vending’s spoliation. After the matter settled, Digital-Vending and the Defendants filed a consent motion…

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Apple v. Samsung Sanction Decision: the Bark Is Worse Than the Bite as Apple and Nokia Overreach in Their Request for Sanctions

To resolve Apple and Nokia’s request for sanctions against Samsung from Samsung’s violation of a protective order, the court ordered written discovery and depositions to determine the extent of the violation. After discovery and several hearing, the court began its analysis by noting that “[a] junior associate missing one redaction…

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Plaintiff Moves to Continue Trial Date Based on Dispute with Counsel; District Court Denies the Motion and Warns That Failure to Obtain New Counsel Will Result in Dismissal

In this patent infringement action that was originally filed against a number of defendants, plaintiff Alexsam, Inc. (“Alexsam”) moved for a continuance of the impending trial date set for October 2013. To support the motion, plaintiff notified the district court that it had terminated its relationship with its counsel of…

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Apple v. Samsung: Court Orders Investigation into Potential Protective Order Violation by Samsung

As Apple and Samsung head toward yet another trial, Apple filed a motion for sanctions, accusing Samsung of violating the protective order in the case. Apple’s motion asserted that Samsung’s counsel had improperly shared information under the protective order with executives at Samsung. The court began its analysis with a…

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Motion for Sanctions Based on Threats of Counsel to Reexamine Patents and to Take Other Action Against Outside Counsel, Although at Best “Silly Posturing and at Worst Unprofessional,” Insufficient to Justify Sanctions Because of First Amendment

Plaintiff Vasudevan Software, Inc. (“VSi”) filed a motion for sanctions against defendant MicroStrategy (“MS”). The sanctions motion was based on statements that VSi characterized as threats against both VSi and its counsel by an outside counsel and a principal of MS, in conjunction with MS’s filing of a request for…

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Rule 11 Sanctions Imposed where Plaintiff’s Failure to Evaluate and Understand the Accused Product Was Unreasonable and Easily Avoided

In Smart Options, LLC v. Jump Rope, Inc., Case No. 12-C-2498 (N.D. Ill. March 25, 2013), plaintiff Smart Options brought suit for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,313,539 against Jump Rope. The ‘539 Patent relates to a method for purchasing an “option” to buy a good or service (e.g., concert…

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California Court Denies Rule 11 Sanctions For Failure to Comply With Rule 11’s Safe-Harbor Provisions

In Arrival Star S.A.., et al. -v- Meitek Inc., et al., Defendant Meitek Inc. (“Meitek”) moved for Rule 11 sanctions against the Plaintiff Arrival Star S.A. (“Arrival Star”) based on Meitek’s contentions that “ArrivalStar’s counsel (1) failed to prepare any claim construction before filing suit, (2) made a “tactical decision”…

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