Opinion ID: 724016
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Attorney Fees on Appeal

Text: 44 CIHD seeks an award of attorney's fees on appeal. Section 35(a) of the Lanham Act provides that a court in exceptional cases may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party when a violation of § 43(a) has been established. 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a). While the term 'exceptional' is not defined in the statute, generally a trademark case is exceptional for purposes of an award of attorneys' fees when the infringement is malicious, fraudulent, deliberate or willful. Lindy Pen Co. v. Bic Pen Corp., 982 F.2d 1400, 1408 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 510 U.S. 815, 114 S.Ct. 64, 126 L.Ed.2d 34 (1993). Because the district court found that appellants knowingly, intentionally and deliberately adopted and used [the CIHD name] in order to cause confusion [and] obstruct [CIHD's] pursuit of its environmental agenda, this case falls within that class of exceptional cases in which courts may award attorney's fees pursuant to § 1117(a). CIHD is therefore entitled to reasonable attorney's fees on appeal.