New patent statistics show that patent litigation, driven by so-called "patent trolls," could reach an all-time high in 2015. It's a statistic that's sure to be highlighted by tech lobbyists and others pushing for patent reform, given that the House is likely to take up a floor vote of the Innovation Act this month.
The stats are published by United Patents, which helps companies deal with patent trolls. The stats show that 2,746 patent lawsuits were filed in the first half of the year. Of those, 1,797, or 68 percent, were filed by patent trolls, which United Patents refers to as "non-practicing entities" or NPEs.
The total number of lawsuits is up 11 percent compared to the first half of 2014 and up 35 percent from the second half of last year (see above graph). United Patents projects that will lead to an all-time high in 2015, with an estimated 6,100 lawsuits and another 1,900 projected disputes at the Patent and Trademark Appeal Board. The latter are mostly proceedings called "inter partes reviews" that challenge the validity of patents.
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