New GAO Report Highlights Need for Patent Reform

Patent reform is one of the i2Coalition’s top legislative priorities. Patent Assertion Entities, commonly referred to as patent trolls, cost the Internet infrastructure industry valuable resources and stifle economic growth with their frivolous lawsuits. We have long supported a legislative fix to the chronic problems caused by patent trolls.

The Coalition for Patent Fairness has been one of our allies in the fight against patent abuse. We are proud to be a member of the Coalition and last month, the i2Coalition co-signed a letter organized by the Coalition for Patent Fairness along with a broad group of 50 organizations urging Congressional leaders to take action on patent reform.

Earlier today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report detailing the increase of patent lawsuits over the past few years. According to the Coalition for Patent Fairness press release:

The GAO released a Congressionally mandated report today documenting the rise in patent lawsuits over the past several years, up 30% from just 2010 to 2011. Patent trolls and profiteers – those that use their patent ownership for the sole purpose of demanding payment from operating companies – have ramped up their activities in recent years, expanding their targets beyond technology companies to include small businesses, retailers and grocers, financial institutions, hospitals and pharmacies, car dealers, real estate agents and thousands of other businesses. The GAO report determined that the number of defendants in these suits – many of them end-users – has exploded, increasing 129% from 2007 to 2011.

This report further underscores the need for permanent patent reforms. If you share our concerns, please contact your U.S. Senator and Representative today and ask them to support legislative solutions to stop patent abuse!