Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Institution
- Publication
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Law
Regulating Patent Assertions, Paul Gugliuzza
Regulating Patent Assertions, Paul Gugliuzza
Faculty Scholarship
Recent years have seen a proliferation of statutes regulating and lawsuits challenging patent enforcement conduct. The Federal Circuit, however, has held that acts of patent enforcement are illegal only if there is clear and convincing evidence both that the patent holder’s infringement allegations were objectively baseless and that the patent holder knew or should have known its allegations were baseless. This chapter summarizes recent efforts by state governments and the federal government to control patent enforcement behavior, questions the broad immunity the Federal Circuit has conferred on patent holders, and seeks to improve pending federal legislation governing patent enforcement. In …
Predictably Expensive: A Critical Look At Patent Litigation In The Eastern District Of Texas, Brian Love
Predictably Expensive: A Critical Look At Patent Litigation In The Eastern District Of Texas, Brian Love
Faculty Publications
In this Essay, we compare U.S. patent litigation across districts and consider possible explanations for the Eastern District of Texas’s popularity with patent plaintiffs. Rather than any one explanation, we conclude that what makes the Eastern District so attractive to patent plaintiffs is the accumulated effect of several marginal advantages — particularly with respect to the relative timing of discovery deadlines, transfer decisions, and claim construction — that make it predictably expensive for accused infringers to defend patent suits filed in East Texas. These findings tend to support ongoing efforts to pass patent reform legislation that would presumptively stay discovery …
Patent "Trolls" And Claim Construction, Greg Reilly
Patent "Trolls" And Claim Construction, Greg Reilly
Faculty Scholarship
This Essay explores the largely overlooked relationship between claim construction and patent assertion entities (patent “trolls”), finding that claim construction problems and trends benefit patent assertion entities. First, the Federal Circuit is deeply divided as to the proper approach to claim construction. This split is a significant contributor to uncertain patent scope, which is widely-recognized as a core reason for the rise and success of patent assertion entities. Second, case law and commentary increasingly endorse an approach to claim construction that relies on the “general meaning” in the technical field with limited reliance on the patent itself. This approach increases …