3 ms·
This is an entertaining and timeless story. "Trolling" is, alas, inevitable due to the transferable nature of patent rights. (Troll-like cases are perhaps 1/2
by kljensen 16y ago
This is an entertaining and timeless story. "Trolling" is, alas, inevitable due to the transferable nature of patent rights. (Troll-like cases are perhaps 1/20 of patent infringements filed.) But, the victims of trolling are not entirely without blame -- small inventors and start ups are frequently told to "scram" by large companies when they are informed of their potential infringement. Without a bankroll, contingency litigation is the only option for the small guy.
- mustpax 16y agoThe problem surrounding the current patent regime is not that those being sued are blameless, it's that patents do not encourage innovation anymore. As you stated, companies that actually bring products to market are not ideally suited to launch patent lawsuits. Only non-practicing entities (i.e. patent "trolls") can sue with great abandon because they don't sell anything that they could be counter-sued for.