Today, the Federal Trade Commission issued its widely anticipated Section 6(b) study on patent assertion entities. In the report, the FTC calls for broad reforms to patent litigation practices, including addressing discovery cost burdens, requiring greater information disclosure on the part of patent assertion entities, streamlining multiple cases with similar issues, and demanding clearer notice of patent infringement theories.
The following may be attributed to Charles Duan, Director of the Patent Reform Project at Public Knowledge:
“We applaud the FTC for its careful analysis and thoughtful recommendations on patent litigation reform and patent assertion entity activity. The report provides substantial factual basis for what people have known all along: that patent assertion entities take advantage of a legal system in dire need of reform, and manipulate that system for personal profit at the expense of industry and the public.
“We hope that this report serves as a continuing signal for the need for strong patent litigation reform that comprehensively addresses a range of issues, and we look forward to working with Congress and the Administration on implementing the FTC’s recommendations and other reforms that will benefit the patent system.”
You may view the report here.
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.