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Liquid Patents, Amy L. Landers

Amy L. Landers

The current patent system is argued to be in a state of crisis. Although much recent criticism about the patent system has been leveled at so-called “patent trolls,” another trend has emerged that may prove more enduring and potentially more troublesome. Patent holders have developed more systematized and strategic methods to obtain revenues from the patent system, building business plans around leveraging monetary value. Recognizing that the patent right can be monetized into licensing fees and damages in an action for patent infringement, some entities have undertaken formalized programs to gather or acquire critical patents in particular fields. These practices …