An “odd” federal law requires plaintiffs who bring lawsuits challenging the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s trademark rulings to pay all of the agency’s expenses including attorney fees, no matter which side wins, a Virginia federal judge has ruled.
Eastern District of Virginia U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III issued the ruling on Friday in Shammas v. Focarino. He ordered plaintiff Milo Shammas to pay nearly $33,000 to cover salaries of agency attorneys who worked on the case and additional money for paralegal salaries and expenses.
