Patent Matters

NCTA was among 50 organizations that recently sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging solutions to patent abuse. “Managing frivolous patent suits unfortunately has become an expensive distraction for a large cross section of American businesses,” the letter said, citing the growth of patent troll activity in recent years.

"We seek reforms to the current system that would significantly curb trolls’ [formally ‘patent assertion entities’] ability to extort settlement demands from retailers, technology companies, small businesses, financial services institutions, state and local government entities, and many others who are today the targets of their outrageous claims," the letter said. Citing a recent White House report, the letter said patent troll activity has quadrupled since 2005, costing the economy $80 billion in 2011 alone.