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The right to intellectual property and the quagmire of patent trolling in East Texas

March 2nd, 2011

george washington carverThe history of patents in the USA is synominis with names like Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver, Albert Einstein, and Bill Gates. Because with each invention and innovation that was thought up of, there was the need for a patent.

Among the many things that factored into becoming the great nation we are is innovation. We have throughout our history found a way to keep speeding ahead with new technology that bettered the lives of Americans and others across the globe.

And in this modern age we continue to look for that “next step” that would continue to elevate us to the next level. Yet, there is one, minor, practice that has both the potential to hinder innovation and leave a scar in our history.

The term, “patent troll” refers to a company that buys and uses patents for the sole purpose of bringing other businesses to court for patent infringement. Besides the unethical method of “business” they are using to gain wealth, is that this type of practice hinders innovation.

The institution of patents and licensing in our nation follows some of our basic principles and beliefs that each man has a right to his property. We can think of patents as the holding of one’s “intellectual” property.

And with a patent an individual has the freedom to pursue their invention with the peace of knowing that it is protected from theft. But, what’s more, is that this encourages the creation of technology. What we find with these patent trolls is an abuse of the system.

As they utilize they protection of held patents to earn royalties and compensation, they sit back with their profit without any purpose or plan to follow through to create or build their invention. That’s right, not only do they not make the patent into a realization, but they punish other businesses that have.

When we observe the things that have come out of the excellence of work of some men in history, it is so sad to see what some individuals are doing to hinder that from going on.

Patent Trolls Aim Pistol at Big Business in East Texas

January 24th, 2011

Patent TrollingWith the failure of Proposition 19 in California came the loss hope among many citizens of the Golden State to be legally practicing one of their “recreational” hobbies. Many still wonder, what is the big deal about legalizing the use of the substance as some of our colleagues in Europe have?

The common thought is, if we legalize marijuana like tobacco and alcohol, then there will not be as many problems, right? Right? Well, let me say this in my best Texan. Just ‘cause you change the look of something, don’t mean it’s right. In so many different areas, there is a search to make something look better by changing the wording of it.

As “political correctness” takes over we can suffer a compromise that will hurt us on the long run. Take, for example, the little controversy of patent trolls in the business arena.

Patent trolls consist of companies who have obtained patent licenses with the sole intent to use them as a pistol aimed at bigger businesses that might have infringed on the patent in order to bring a lawsuit against them for compensation.

Now, one red flag of a patent troll is that the business has not manufactured the patented item and will never do so. Some uproar has come as a result of this practice and many are taking sides.

In an attempt to downplay this unethical practice is to refer to them, not as patent trolls, but rather, “non-practicing entities”. As in, “We choose not to implement the objects of our patents.” That’s like saying, “I’m a non-practicing dieter”.

Whatever the case may be, if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, and has feathers like a duck then it’s a duck.

Misunderstood patent holders with rights fighting in East Texas

January 3rd, 2011

Misunderstood patent trollsIt’s one of your classic movie plots. Good guys fight bad guys, only to find out that bad guys are misunderstood, thus a compromise is made, fighting stops and now, no more enemies. So it would seem to be taking place in the federal court rooms of East Texas and other parts of the United States.

Could it be that the so called “patent trolls” that have been portrayed as abusers of our legal system for profit are, in reality, simply misunderstood patent holders with rights?

The rising unethical practice of purchasing unmanufactured patent rights in order to sue companies with manufactured products that have the possibility of infringing on the patent has made its enemies throughout the last number of years.

And as the practice is understood, it is justifiably so. But are these “trolls” really doing anything different than your average patent holder? The very creation of the concept of patent holding is to ensure the protection of intellectual property or ideas of invention.

When a patent holders “property” is being produced without their permission, they have the right to be compensated for the infringed use of their idea. This means that the accused patent trolls are practicing the same rights as any patent holder when they pursue anybody who has produced a product or service that infringes upon their patent.

So, technically they are under the same labeling as your average patent holder. Where they vary from the rest is in the area of morally or ethics of why they do it. The pure concept of the labeling a company a ”patent troll” is based on the aggressive pursuit and use of patents solely for litigation without any motivation to manufacture the product, which stunts innovation.

So, our beloved patent trolls not misunderstood, they are bad through and through.

Consumer Prices and Patent Trolls in East Texas

December 25th, 2010
East Texas patent lawyersWe all know about the possibility of finding coal in our stockings due to being on the “bad list” and we have all heard of the Grinch and his devious plan to rob Christmas and even a few of us have had an Ebenezer Scrooge as a boss but this year’s Christmas culprit could come in the form of a “troll”.

Even though there was a slight increase in people spending during this past Black Friday holiday (doesn’t it seem like its receiving more and more attention every year?) the increase was minute and does not make up for the lack of spending that has taken place the past few years.

This lack of spending is due to our struggling economy, but piggy-backing on the economies broken back are unnecessary hikes in product prices forced upon businesses by “patent trolls”.

Patent trolls are, simply, companies who look to buy patents off from bankrupt or struggling businesses or firms for the sole purpose of targeting bigger and more successful businesses that have a product or service that has infringed upon their patent in order to bring a lawsuit against them.

Many times the businesses with the infringement will settle for hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to avoid a lengthy and costly court process. Now, what does this have to do with our Christmas shopping?

Well, once these businesses have paid off their patent litigation, they will have to increase the cost of their product and service so that us the consumers can make up for the loss. This is similar to what is taking place in the medical field, hospitals and doctors are required to charge much higher based upon any litigation or future litigation that is brought against them.

So when it comes this Christmas season make sure to give a big “Merry Christmas” to your local patent troll!

Patent Infringement Abuse Versus Innovation

December 25th, 2010

patent infringement east texas

East Texas Patent Attorneys

It’s as old as time. Good versus Evil, God versus all selfishness in man, North versus South, Batman versus Joker, and East Texas versus … innovation? It shouldn’t be limited to East Texas only; rather, it should be patent infringement abuse versus innovation.

But for the today, we should look at what East Texas’ possible part is in slowing do innovation. Although patent infringement cases themselves has only grown nationally a slight margin, the number of cases happening in the towns of Marshall, Texarkana, and Tyler has multiplied beyond belief.

And it is believed by some that there is an abuse of the legal system as companies are looking to profit off of patent infringement lawsuits, and this can stunt innovation and invention. This is especially true for what is being done by these so called “patent trolls”.

A “patent troll” is a company that looks to make its profit through gains earned through lawsuits versus other companies that has a product or technology that has infringed on their patent. The big catch, and what has attributed to slowing down innovation, is that many times these “patent trolls” look to buy patents off of others without any plan to manufacture the invention.

That in of itself is anti- productive, but what has further hindered the productivity is how these “trolls” as well as others have won an incredible amount of patent litigation cases. What does that have to do with innovation?

Well, either these companies have less money to invest in new technology or are hesitant to invest for fear of being targeted or even further, they don’t have the patent of an idea because one of these “patent trolls” holds it. And, unfortunately, East Texas has played it’s part based on a high rate of awarding cases to “patent trolls” and others.