Patent Assertion Entity, Antitrust Enforcement, District of Columbia 2012

Patent Assertion Entities are Under Fire: DOJ and FTC to Host Workshop

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are set to hold a joint public workshop on December 10, 2012, to examine the impact of Patent Assertion Entity (PAE) activities on innovation and competition.

PAEs, often described as 'non-practicing entities,' purchase patents from existing owners and seek to maximize revenues by licensing the intellectual property to manufacturers who are already using the patented technology.

Supporters of the PAE business model argue that it facilitates the transfer of patent rights, rewards inventors, and funds ongoing research and development efforts. Critics, however, describe adverse effects on competition and innovation, including increased costs and a lack of technology transfer.

The workshop will provide a forum for industry participants, academics, economists, lawyers, and other interested parties to discuss the economic and legal analyses of PAE activity.

Panelists for the workshop will include academics, private attorneys, economists, and industry representatives. The Department of Justice and the FTC are interested in receiving comments on PAE activities and will accept written submissions from the public before the workshop and until March 10, 2013.

The all-day workshop is free and open to the public. Individuals are encouraged to register by December 5, 2012, for the workshop by sending an email to: ATR.LPS-PAEWorkshopRSVP@usdoj.gov. Please include 'RSVP' in the subject line.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/department-justice-federal-trade-commission-hold-workshop-patent-assertion-entity-activities