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US: AGs rally against patent trolls

By  |  December 18, 2013

A group of state attorneys general are supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s efforts against so-called patent trolls, the companies known to collect patents and sell their rights, often hampering competition and innovation in the industry.

According to reports, the AGs are supporting the FTC’s plans to gather rata on such trolls; the National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter to the FTC earlier this week in which 43 AGs offered advice to the authority.

The officials suggested that the FTC must collect information regarding the trolls’ “practices, methods, and beliefs regarding the veracity (or lack thereof) of infringement claims, and the number and types of their target entities.” Further, the AGs said the FTC should share that information as much as legally allowed.

The politicians said that the FTC’s plans would “greatly assist” efforts to combat patent trolls and excessive patent litigation, issues that have come to the forefront of antitrust authorities in recent years as technological patents gain more worth.

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