Patent trolls often purchase vague and
overly broad patents typically addressing commonplace technology and business methods.
«The America Invents Act» takes steps to make it harder for companies to file, and then sue, on the basis of
overly broad patents that can ensnare unsuspecting companies.
While the law made it easier to challenge bad patents, it didn't reign in absurd jury verdicts or
overly broad patents that enable the trolls in the first place.
«My company, Capstone Photography, was sued for the infringement of three vague and
overly broad patents relating to how event photos are posted online for searching, viewing and purchase... Our small business, without even a single line item in our budget for legal defense, spent $ 100,000 to defend against the suit.»
Patent trolls use
overly broad patents — for example, regarding the provision of Wi - Fi access — to threaten litigation and extort payments from real estate businesses across the country.
But critics are concerned over what they say are a series of
overly broad patents.
Not exact matches
Still, Samuel Kazen, founder of Imagine IP, argues Dovden is taking an «
overly broad» approach to enforcing its
patents.
«Right now,
patent trolls are manipulating the
overly broad and poorly determined
patent definition to win settlements and damages from tens of thousands of real American innovators,» Rep. Issa said in a statement.
The AIA made important improvements to the examination process and overall
patent quality, but stakeholders remain concerned about
patents with
overly broad claims — particularly in the context of software.
By some estimates, close to a third of all new U.S.
patents are of questionable quality, often because the invention claimed is not new or because the
patent is vague or
overly broad.
Overly restrictive licensing and smotheringly
broad patent interpretations could make a shambles of synthetic biology.
Patents good, overly - broad paten
Patents good,
overly -
broad patentspatents bad.
And Apple's case relies entirely on an
overly -
broad interpretation of its three design
patents.
While these pieces of legislation have been well - intentioned and contain some appropriate remedies, critics argue that they take an
overly broad approach that negatively affects legitimate
patent holders, especially small companies.
First, several stakeholders GAO interviewed said that many such lawsuits are related to the prevalence of
patents with unclear property rights; for example, several of these stakeholders noted that software - related
patents often had
overly broad or unclear claims or both.
Instead of investing in new jobs and services, businesses must fight frivolous claims and
overly broad lawsuits made by
patent trolls against a range of technologies and commonplace ideas.
«Instead of creating new jobs and investing in new technologies, businesses large and small across many industries — from national realty, construction, and technology businesses to Main Street retail shops, hotels, grocers, convenience stores, and restaurants — continue to be forced to divert scarce resources to fighting frivolous lawsuits and
overly broad claims made by
Patent Assertion Entities, or «patent trolls».&
Patent Assertion Entities, or «
patent trolls».&
patent trolls».»
American businesses of all sizes and from all industry sectors are being held hostage by frivolous lawsuits and
overly broad claims made by
patent trolls.
«Instead of creating new jobs and investing in new technologies, businesses large and small across many industries... continue to be forced to divert scarce resources to fighting frivolous lawsuits and
overly broad claims made by
Patent Assertion Entities, or «patent trolls».&
Patent Assertion Entities, or «
patent trolls».&
patent trolls».»
Fixing the functional claiming problem will severely limit the problems posed by
overly broad software
patents, which are often abused by
patent trolls.
Unfortunately, the
Patent Office does not do a good job of policing
overly broad claims.