FTC Streamlines Patent Troll Study
Yesterday the FTC announced that it has updated its proposed study on patent trolls and is sending the proposed study to OMB for approval.
Not surprisingly the public overwhelmingly supported the stu...
Time To Put A Spotlight On Patent Trolls
One of the key authors of the FTC Act, Louis Brandeis, wrote a century ago: “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” There are probably fe...
New Paper Proves the Danger of Bottom Feeder Trolls
Erik Hovenkamp has authored a very interesting working paper comparing bottom feeder trolls (as we’ve seen here and here) to the practice of predatory pricing. This paper will likely be very impor...
Trolls Aren’t Welcome in Lake Wobegon
We all know the virtues of Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon, a mythical town in rural Minnesota “where are the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average....
The End-Users Strike Back
As Josh Lamel noted the other day, end-users such as retailers, financial services, grocery stores, advertising, hotel industries, and even oil companies are coming out in droves to fight abusive pate...
Using the Full Powers of the FTC to Combat Patent Trolls
A century ago there was a lively debate in Congress over the enforcement of the antitrust laws. Much of the 1912 presidential campaign had focused on the lack of effective antitrust enforcement by t...
Actavis Case Shows Weak Patents Are System-Wide
Last week the Supreme Court heard arguments in FTC v. Actavis (transcript here). This case concerns a topic not normally covered on Patent Progress – pharmaceutical patents. Pharmaceutical patents a...
Edith Ramirez is a Fantastic Choice for FTC Chairman
On February 28th the White House announced that President Obama has selected current Commissioner Edith Ramirez as the new Chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission. Chairwoman Ramirez is an excell...
Patent Troll Panel Important for Competition Policy
CCIA is hosting an important event on Thursday, February 28th entitled “How Patent Trolls are Harming Innovation.” The event will take place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and will featu...