ANN D. MONTGOMERY, District Judge.
This matter is before the undersigned United States District Judge for a ruling on Defendant Octane Fitness, LLC's ("Octane") letter dated September 11, 2015 Letter [Docket No. 298] ("Octane Letter") requesting permission to move for reconsideration of the Court's September 1, 2015 Order [Docket No. 296] (the "Attorney Fee Order"). Plaintiff Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. ("Icon") has filed a letter dated September 21, 2015 [Docket No. 299] ("Icon Letter") opposing the request. For the reasons set forth below, Octane's request is denied. However, the Court, acting on its own under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(a), will amend the Judgment [Docket No. 297] to correct two errors.
Octane's request for leave to file a motion for reconsideration is made pursuant to Local Rule 7.1(j), which requires a party to show "compelling circumstances" before filing a motion to reconsider. D. Minn. L.R. 7.1(g). Motions to reconsider "serve a limited function: to correct manifest errors of law or fact or to present newly discovered evidence."
Octane argues there are three compelling circumstances which support its request for leave to file a motion for reconsideration. Each argument is addressed below.
Octane contends that the Court committed legal error by not awarding Octane the fees it incurred in pursuing the appeal and remand proceedings related to the new exceptionality standard under 35 U.S.C. § 285.
Octane contends that "[f]ees on fees litigation is not a `stage' requiring separate § 285 analysis," and that "[f]ees reasonably incurred in obtaining fees ordinarily should be awarded as part of the work on a patent case." Octane Letter at 1. However, "no award of fees is automatic."
In determining the amount of Octane's fee award, the Court excluded $125,719 in fees related to Icon's United States Patent No. 5,104,120 (the "'120 Patent"). Octane argues that this amount was arbitrary and excessive, and that only $41,359 (the sum of all time entries specifically referencing the '120 Patent) should have been excluded.
The Court's allocation of fees related to the '120 Patent was neither arbitrary nor erroneous. The '120 Patent was one of two claims at issue in this litigation. In arriving at the amount of fees related to the '120 Patent, the Court deducted 100% of the time entries that related entirely to the '120 Patent, 50% of the time entries that were reasonably related to both patents at issue, and 0% of the time entries related to the other patent. Therefore, the Court did not err by excluding fees for time entries that did not specifically reference the '120 Patent.
Octane argues the Court erroneously determined that $22,857 in computer research charges were undocumented. In requesting expenses related to electronic legal research, Octane referenced Exhibit BB-8 of its Fee Application.
In sum, no compelling circumstances exist to warrant a motion to reconsider, and Octane's request to file such a motion is denied.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(a) provides that a "court may correct a clerical mistake or a mistake arising from oversight or omission whenever one is found in a judgment, order, or other part of the record. The court may do so . . . on its own, with or without notice."
The Judgment for attorney's fees entered by the Court on September 2, 2015 must be amended to correct two mistakes arising from oversight. First, both parties have alerted the Court that $241,145.41 in fees should have been excluded from the total fee award.
Second, the Judgment will be amended to include $22,857 in computerized legal research expenses that were erroneously denied based on lack of documentation. As discussed above, although the documentation supporting the expenses could have been more clearly identified, the expenses were documented in the record before the Court and thus, will be awarded.
Based upon the foregoing, and all of the files, records and proceedings herein,