SCOTUS HOLDS LARGE COPYRIGHT COSTS AWARD IN RIMINI STREET V. ORACLE IS NOT PERMISSIBLE

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the decision of the Ninth Circuit Court in Rimini Street, Inc. et al v. Oracle USA, Inc. et al to award damages for costs in the amount of $12.8 million in a copyright infringement law suit. The Court held that since the Copyright Act already specifies the types of costs that can be awarded in a copyright suit, this large cost award was not appropriate as the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. section 505 does not give federal district courts the authority to award additional non-statutory costs in copyright litigation. The Court held that the term “full costs” in the Copyright Act does not expand the types of costs that can be awarded beyond what is in the general costs statute in sections 1821 and 1920.