SAN FRANCISCO — Recent U.S. Supreme Court recent decisions on fee shifting in patent cases are being invoked in an unexpected proceeding: the case of a so-called copyright troll accused of shaking down Internet porn consumers by threatening to expose their identities.
Hansmeier v. Doe has nothing to do with Section 285 of the Patent Act. Rather, U.S. District Judge Otis Wright II of the Central District of California invoked his inherent powers when socking attorneys affiliated with Chicago’s Prenda Law Group for $81,000 in fees.
