‘Trolls’ account for 20% of German patent suits, says advocacy group
‘Trolls’ file a “staggering” 20% of patent lawsuits in Germany, according to an advocacy coalition with members including Adidas, Google, Intel and Spotify.
IP2Innovate, formed last year, alleged that that EU is facing an “explosion” of patent infringement suits from patent trolls that are abusing Europe’s legal system for financial gain.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, April 4, the advocacy group demanded urgent action from the European Commission.
“The abusive practices of patent trolls, also known as patent assertion entities (PAEs), cause great uncertainty for business, add unnecessary costs, scare investors, stifle innovation, slow development and the introduction of new products, and even force businesses to shut down,” said IP2Innovate.
According to the coalition, the majority of such cases are filed in Germany and France, and 80% of PAE suits filed outside the US are initiated in Europe.
The advocacy coalition added that its members have directly experienced PAEs that are “adept at exploiting the rigidities of Europe’s patent systems” on automatic permanent injunctions, inadequate fee-shifting and poor-quality patents.
Patrick Oliver, executive director of IP2Innovate, said: “The risk will only increase with the implementation of the Unified Patent Court, which will make Europe an even more attractive venue for patent abuses. The European Commission must get tough with US patent trolls.”
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