Patent trolls are the bane of the existence of American industry. These companies and individuals shop around for patents and patent portfolios to acquire for the sole purpose of using litigation and the threat of litigation to monetize their underlying ideas. They have no interest in the utility, social value or commercial viability of the […]
The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) which went into effect in March contains a little-discussed provision that could greatly strengthen the value and patentability of long-held trade secrets. In published notes on the new law, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has indicated that it will no longer consider secret sales and secret use of […]
Online ecommerce businesses can breathe a lot easier today. The Federal Circuit slammed the final door shut last week on a patent troll whose claims of ownership of the core ideas behind online shopping carts had threatened to bring ecommerce to it knees. In a final ruling on a rehearing of Soverain Software LLC v. […]
UPDATE DEC. 6,2013. The U.S. Supreme Court announced today it will review the case cited in this article. If you’re considering pursuing a patent for a software product, you might want to reconsider. The courts have made a seriously chaotic mess out of this subject in recent months, rendering the usefulness of such patents even […]