A man who filed two lawsuits against Lori Cheek, the founder of reverse dating app Cheekd, has been told that he must pay her attorney fees and more, after she successfully defended herself on both occasions.
Alfred Pirri claimed that he had the original idea for Cheekd in 2006. The dating app requires users to hand physical cards that contain a unique code for their dating profile to people they find attractive.
His story alleges that his therapist told Cheek about the product, despite the pair swearing that they’d never met.
Two lawsuits were submitted against Cheek which demanded a total of $6 million in damages. After successfully getting both cases thrown out, the entrepreneur moved to have Pirri pay for her expenses.
This motion has just been passed by a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), which states he must pay all attorney fees and double the costs. A payment plan will be required.
The CAFC explains, as reported by IP Watchdog: “Through his counsel, Mr. Pirri distorts the factual and legal bases for the district court’s fee award. He characterizes the district court as ruling on issues never raised or addressed below.
“And he leverages inapposite legal doctrines to make arguments that can only be described as baffling. Put simply, Mr. Pirri’s merits briefing far exceeds the bounds of proper decorum.”
Cheek admits that, although she has ultimately come out on top, the whole process has led her to wish that she’d never filed for a patent in the first place.
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