Opinion ID: 211518
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Enhanced Damages and Attorney Fees

Text: 32 Defendants dispute the finding by the trial court that this case is exceptional. In an exceptional case, a court may award attorney fees. 35 U.S.C. § 285 (2000). Further, the trial court has broad discretion in the criteria by which it determines whether to award attorney fees. Brooktree Corp. v. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., 977 F.2d 1555, 1582 (Fed.Cir.1992). 33 The trial court awarded enhanced damages on the basis of the jury's willfulness finding and the Read factors for enhancing damages. See Read Corp. v. Portec, Inc., 970 F.2d 816 (Fed.Cir.1992). Most importantly, the court found that the case for literal infringement was not close. Moreover, SeaChange deliberately copied the invention in its products without investigating the scope of the patent. Thus, SeaChange had not formed a good faith belief excusing its conduct. Accordingly, the trial court declared this an exceptional case under 35 U.S.C. § 285 and awarded attorney fees. This court detects no clear error in any of the court's subsidiary factual findings leading to its conclusion that this was an exceptional case. Further, this court perceives no abuse of discretion in the trial court's award of attorney fees.