US: Patent troll bill poised to pass

A bill aimed to protect companies against so-called patent trolls seems poised to become law as the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee cleared the legislation, which will now head to a full House vote.

The Senate Judiciary Committee and full Senate previously voted in favor of the bill.

Earlier this year, officials called on Congress to curb patent troll abuse, which charges companies to use standard-essential patents required for their products but owned by other companies. The current bill looks to curb what experts see as excessive litigation regarding patent licensing as companies launch patent wars against each other, suing each other in court for use of each other’s patents.

According to reports, the new legislation would require judge to award damages to patent case winners unless decided otherwise, and would force companies that file such patent infringement lawsuits to provide detailed information regarding their claims and how patents in question are used.

Full Content: Reuters

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