On September 2, Manny Caixeiro published “The rise of pro-NPE and patent sentiment in the US” in World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR). The following is an excerpt:
Non-practising entities are controversial, but political winds in the US are shifting and inventors, investors, and operating companies of all stripes should take note, writes Manny Caixeiro of Venable.
The past several decades have seen a rise in companies whose primary business is to license and enforce patents.
These non-practising entities (NPEs) are controversial. Advocates contend that they serve the vital function of enforcing patents that small businesses or individual inventors lack the resources to enforce. NPEs therefore view themselves as a counterweight to powerful technology companies and promoters of innovation.
Proponents also argue that NPEs are efficient because they expand the secondary market for patents while aggregating many patents into single licences, which reduces the risk of piecemeal litigation.
For the full article, click here.