SCOTUS: Defendants in Frivolous Patent Cases Should Get Legal Fees

The U.S. Supreme Court handed a loss to a Fort Worth firm Tuesday in a dispute over whether it should have to pay the attorneys fees and costs of a health insurer that defeated the small fry in a patent case.

The justices essentially gave wide deference to the federal district judges in deciding when fees are appropriate in patent cases. Over the past decade, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which hears patent appeals, has had more stringent standards on awarding attorneys fees in patent suits, where legal expenses can run in the millions of dollars.