US: FTC revitalizes patent troll study

The Federal Trade Commission is taking a fresh approach to its study on patent trolls and their effects on competition and innovation as it sent a Federal Register Notice with revised information regarding its request for information and notifying of another call for public comment on the matter.

Reports say the FTC unanimously approved its second Notice on the study, which aims to understand how patent trolls, the nickname given to companies that acquire patents for the sole purpose of collecting licensing fees or suing those that use those patents. Critics of such companies say they are anticompetitive and discourage innovation for fear of facing a lawsuit.

The FTC has taken on the task of examining exactly how the companies, also known as patent assertion entities, affect the market so it can better regulate the area. The study’s launch was first announced last September and reportedly received 70 comments, some of which recommended revisions to how the study should be carried out.

Full content: IP Watchdog

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