Three years ago, the Federal Trade Commission announced a study of “patent assertion entities” (“PAEs”): “businesses that acquire patents from third parties and seek to generate revenue by asserting them against alleged...more
In a speech at the American Antitrust Association (AAI) and Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) Conference on Innovation, Patents and PAEs on December 10, 2014, Federal Trade Commissioner (FTC) Julie Brill...more
Earlier this year, I wrote about efforts to reform the patent system to curtail abuses by “patent trolls.” Patent trolls do not manufacture anything. Rather, they often buy up patents and then bring lawsuits against...more
On September 27, 2013, the Federal Trade Commission announced that the four sitting Commissioners voted unanimously to seek public comments on a proposal to gather information to examine how patent assertion entities (PAEs)...more
The number of patents filed in recent years has increased with the proliferation of complex products containing thousands of components. So too has the incidence of lawsuits or threats of suit....more
We recently wrote about a workshop held by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to discuss perceived abuses by patent acquisition entities....more
On June 4, 2013, the White House issued a press release announcing its “Task Force on High-Tech Patent Issues.” The press release outlined five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations “designed to protect...more
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice recently held a workshop to discuss the effects of patent assertion entities (PAEs) on innovation and competition....more
On December 10, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) jointly presented the “Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs) Activities Workshop.” This publicly-held workshop signaled a recognition by...more