Patent Trolls

August 23, 2019
A busnisess's empty board room with desk chairs and a table.

What Can Businesses Expect From the US Patent Reforms?

A draft bill released May 22nd proposes significant reforms to section 101 of the US Patent Act. Businesses should be aware of the commercial impact.
July 8, 2019
Computer server, cables, fiber optic cables, electronics, hardware

Federal Circuit Reinstates Software Patents in Favour of Alleged Patent Troll

The CAFC reminds lower courts that software patents are valid where they claim a particular improvement in how the outcome is achieved.
August 8, 2017

IPTV case shows that Interpretation of IT Patents may be 0’s or 1’s

2017 FC 6 - MediaTube brought allegations of infringement against Bell over one of its IT patents, asserting that Bell had infringed the patent with Bell’s IPTV services. The FC deemed the patent to be valid, but not infringed. Costs were decided in Bell’s favour and elevated to reflect the punitive damages claimed by MediaTube and the weak argument they had put forth.
May 23, 2017

SCOTUS Lands a Blow Against Patent Trolls by Limiting Patent Litigation Venues

581 U.S. ___ (2017) - SCOTUS reaffirmed one of its previous holdings to find that the proper venue for bringing a patent infringement suit against a domestic corporation is either where the defendant resides, or where the defendant has committed acts of infringement and has a regular place of business.
April 30, 2015

Google Offers to Purchase your Patents

From May 8, 2015 through May 22, 2015, Google will be accepting applications from patent-holders wishing to sell any patent to Google through its experimental Patent Purchase Program. Google hopes that its program will improve the marketplace for patents for everyone, but especially for smaller participants, who too often end up selling their patents to patent trolls.
October 24, 2013

House of Representatives Tackles Patent Trolls with The Innovation Act of 2013

Summary A new bill (H.R. 3309) was introduced entitled The Innovation Act of 2013. The bill is cosponsored by Howard Coble (R-N.C.) the chairman of the […]
May 29, 2013

Proposed Patent Quality Improvement Act to Assist US Defendants Facing Spurious Infringement Suits Brought by NPEs

Link to full text of the proposed Act.  The Patent Quality Improvement Act amends the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act to remove the eight-year sunset provision with respect […]