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White House Announces Reforms Targeting Patent Trolls

Posted by timothy on from the setting-the-tone dept.

andy1307 writes "According to Politico (and, paywalled, at The Wall Street Journal), the White House on Tuesday [released] plans to announce a set of executive actions President Barack Obama will take that are aimed at reining in certain patent-holding firms, known as 'patent trolls' to their detractors, amid concerns that the firms are abusing the patent system and disrupting competition. The plan includes five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations. They include requiring patent holders and applicants to disclose who really owns and controls the patent, changing how fees are awarded to the prevailing parties in patent litigation, and protecting consumers with better protections against being sued for patent infringement."

5 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. "reining" by sessamoid · · Score: 5, Funny
    "aimed at reigning in certain patent-holding firms"

    "Reining", not "reigning". Think horses, not kings.

    --
    "No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."
    1. Re:"reining" by SpaghettiPattern · · Score: 3, Funny

      "aimed at reigning in certain patent-holding firms"

      "Reining", not "reigning". Think horses, not kings.

      Shirley you mean "raining".

      --

      I hadn't the slightest objection to his spending his time planning massacres for the bourgeoisie... (P.G. Wodehouse)
    2. Re:"reining" by Dishevel · · Score: 3, Funny

      I do not mean raining and don't call me Shirley.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
  2. Re:I'm not sure their the problem by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    All that is needed is "new" laws on Champerty and Trial-by-Combat, and patent trolling could become a new spectator sport! What could possibly go wrong?

  3. Re:serious patent question by EmagGeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just call it "System and Method for use of a Combination of Reciprocating Frictional Motion and Visual Stimuli for the Production of Half-Sequence Genomes in a Saline Solution."

    They'll approve that in no time.