Plaintiff's Failure to Conduct Due Diligence as to Standing Justifies Award of Attorney Fees Under § 285

Following a dismissal for lack of standing, the court granted defendants' motion for attorney fees under 35 U.S.C. § 285 because plaintiff's litigation tactics were unreasonable. "[Plaintiff] brought this lawsuit without performing sufficient due diligence as to whether it had standing. It is clear from the pleadings that, from the outset, [plaintiff] was aware of the root of its standing issues. . . . Despite naming [the patent owner] as a co-plaintiff in the Complaint -- in essence, an admission that [the owner] was a necessary party -- [the owner's] signature or any identification of its counsel are conspicuously absent from the Complaint. . . . [Plaintiff's] litigation conduct makes this case exceptional because it insisted on maintaining this lawsuit even when faced with mounting evidence that it lacked standing. . . . [A]lthough the Court is not convinced that it rises to the level of intentional misrepresentation, [plaintiff] at least obfuscated the fact that there were potential problems with its standing."

Max Sound Corporation et al v. Google Inc. et al, 5-14-cv-04412 (CAND October 11, 2017, Order) (Davila, USDJ)