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High Court's View of 'Full Costs' in Copyright Litigation

A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court, led by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, held that the phrase “full costs” in §505 of the Copyright Act means all of the costs specifically enumerated in the general cost-shifting statutes, such as transcripts and fees for court-appointed experts and interpreters.

3 minute read April 01, 2019 at 12:13 AM
By
Scott Graham
High Court's View of 'Full Costs' in Copyright Litigation

The copyright statute provision that permits an award of “full costs” to a prevailing party does not include litigation-related expenses such as expert witness fees, jury consulting fees and e-discovery.

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The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which works under the umbrella of the Librarian of Congress, sets statutory-license royalty terms and rates. The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit recently issued two notable decisions about the CRB.

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