post Wednesday December 5, 2012
The topic of patent trolls is one that seems to take over the latest news on intellectual property, mostly targeting the Chinese patent trolling practices.
However, the United States is also looking into the subject of patent trolls in the country itself. The investigation was instigated as a result of numerous concerns voiced by tech companies, claiming competitive harm.
The issues on antitrust matters and patent trolls that surround patents is a sensitive topic for senior level managers in large tech firms. Lately, they have been spending considerable energy on dissecting the intersection of patents and antitrust. There are many opposing views on the role of patent trolls, ranging from stifling innovation to enabling small inventors.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice announced that a joint public workshop would be held on the 10thof December, to address the issue on patent trolls, also referred to as “Patent Assertion Entity “(PAE).
Advocates of PAE see it as a business model facilitating the transfer of patent rights, it rewards inventors and it funds research and development. The latter is especially the case with small inventors, who otherwise would not be able to compete with large corporations and thus their inventions would not see the light of day. The opposition argues that it has negative effects on innovation and competition, as well as increased costs and does not allow for technology transfer.
The workshop is open for parties that are interested in discussing the legal and economical aspect of PAE’s as well as their activities. There will be panelists from different disciplines, such as IP lawyers, economists, academics and industry representatives.
For attendance, register before December 5thby emailing: ATR.LPS-PAEWorkshopRSVP@usdoj.gov. with “rsvp” in the subject line.
Source: Biz Journal, Federal Trade Commission
Image Source: Free Digital Photos
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