Patent News


Jul. 27, 2014

Omaha Daily Herald Letter to the Editor: Fight patent ‘trolls’ by supporting bill, by David L. Hansen

This post originally appeared in Omaha.com on July 27, 2014.


Legislation aimed at curbing the abuse of patent demand letters is exactly what’s needed to protect legitimate patent holders from this alarming trend. Demand letters are a valued patent enforcement tool that benefits both patent holders and potential infringers. These letters are also a trusted method for resolving patent disputes outside of costly litigation.

The Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters (TROL) Act of 2014, introduced by Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., and recently advanced by a subcommittee in a bipartisan manner, would take a targeted approach to this problem by requiring the issuers of demand letters to include specific types of information in their correspondence. I commend the congressman for taking meaningful steps to curb frivolous patent demand letters and for protecting Nebraska’s small businesses from bad actors.

I encourage lawmakers to support this legislation. A majority of stakeholders on both sides of this issue agree that it is the narrow fix needed to ensure continued innovation and economic growth, in Nebraska and throughout the country.

David L. Hansen, Omaha