Press Release

New PWC Study Highlights Continued, Urgent Need for a Comprehensive Legislative Patent Litigation Reform

Trolls now file 2/3rds of all patent cases; number of patent cases up 25%

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2014                                               

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following statement can be attributed to Matthew Tanielian, Executive Director of the Coalition for Patent Fairness.

“According to a just-released PricewaterhouseCoopers patent litigation study, non-practicing entities, or patent trolls, filed 67 percent of all new patent infringement cases in 2013, compared to just 28 percent in 2009.  That’s a staggering increase and further proof of how out-of-control the patent litigation system has become. As the report notes, the median damages awarded to patent trolls tripled that of practicing entities over the last four years. When cases went to juries, rather than being decided by judges, the median award was more than 37 times higher (measured between 2010 and 2013).

This report highlights what we already know – that if left unchecked, patent trolls will continue to employ their abusive litigation tactics to undermine the patent system, stifle innovation, slow the economy, and do irreparable harm to small businesses across the country. Only strong, comprehensive patent litigation reform legislation can solve the patent troll crisis that plagues America’s innovators, startups, and main street businesses.

We will continue the fight to pass patent litigation reform. The patent troll problem that has brought us here continues to grow, and Congress must act to put an end to the abusive patent troll business model.”

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The Coalition for Patent Fairness is a diverse group of companies and industry associations dedicated to enhancing U.S. innovation, job creation, and competitiveness in the global market by modernizing and strengthening our nation’s patent system.

Contact:
Cameron Coursen, [email protected]    
Beau Phillips, [email protected]