By Kent Hoover | Phoenix Business Journal
Many business groups praised House passage of legislation aimed at helping businesses fight frivolous lawsuits filed by so-called “patent trolls.”
But some fear the legitimate rights of some small businesses could be trampled as Congress rushes to protect companies from bad actors who assert patent claims only as an extortion scheme.
In recent years, companies in all sorts of industries — even businesses that have just bought off-the-shelf products — have been threatened by lawsuits from parties who contend their patents have been infringed on. The goal of these threats is not protecting patents, but “securing a quick payday” from businesses that can’t afford litigation, said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and is the chief sponsor of the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309).
The House passed Goodlatte’s bill on a bipartisan, 325-91 vote.
If you’d like to discuss intellectual property issues, contact Robert Iussa, chairman Rose Law Group Intellectual Property Dept., riussa@roselawgroup.com
