A recent ruling in a California federal court has left Lyft Inc. without the $1 million in attorney fees it sought in its ongoing patent dispute with Quartz Auto Technologies LLC. The decision underscores the binding nature of previous agreements, with U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar emphasizing that the parties had already agreed to “bear its own costs and attorneys’ fees.”
Lyft Denied $1M Fees In Patent Suit Because Of Previous Deal : Background of the Case
The dispute traces back to a broader patent battle involving wireless communication technology patents. Lyft initially filed the lawsuit in 2021, aiming to invalidate five of Quartz’s patents, following Quartz’s legal actions against Uber Technologies Inc. The case took a significant turn when the parties submitted a joint proposed order in January 2023, dismissing claims related to four specific patents.
Lyft Denied $1M Fees In Patent Suit Because Of Previous Deal : Judge Tigar’s Decision
Judge Tigar’s ruling was unequivocal. He pointed out that the submitted order clearly stated that each party was responsible for their own legal costs, without exceptions for specific patents. “The last sentence of the order unambiguously states that each party will bear its own costs and attorney’s fees, without any limitation,” he wrote.
