Chicago Tribune Letter to the Editor: Congress needs to fight ‘patent’ trolls, by Al DeBonnett
This letter originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune site on August 7, 2014.
The American patent system is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. It encourages innovation, spurs job creation and promotes economic growth both here in Illinois and across the country.
But “patent trolls” are burdening the current system by issuing bad-faith demand letters to honest patent holders — particularly small businesses — and are abusing an otherwise legitimate patent enforcement tool. This harmful activity inhibits the ability of innovators to focus on the work that benefits a wide range of Illinoisans.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle understand that legislative action must be taken in order to tackle this problem, which is why the Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2014 was recently introduced. This bill effectively targets malicious behavior exhibited by bad actors without dramatically altering our revered patent system or encroaching upon the rights of honest patent holders.
To read the full letter please visit the Chicago Tribune site here.