Semiconductor focus: Caught in the patent currents

There has been a five-fold increase in the number of patents involved in semiconductor litigation since 2007, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down. WIPR reports.

Like horse-racing, it has been called ‘the sport of kings’ due to the rising costs, high stakes, and the difficulty of getting your money back. Patent litigation, particularly on US shores, has become an increasingly lucrative contest.

According to the 2013 edition of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s (AIPLA) Report of the Economic Survey, a biannual publication that provides figures on US intellectual property litigation, the cost of a patent lawsuit in that year ranged from $970,000 to $5.9 million. The maximum figure from the previous survey (in 2011) stood at $5 million.

Despite the high figure, litigation, particularly in the semiconductor industry, appears to be increasing.