Patent troll

A patent troll (also known as a Non-Practincing Entity, or “NPE”) is a company or individual that holds patents without intending to use them to manufacture or sell products or services. Instead, patent trolls acquire patents with a view to suing other companies for infringement, in order to generate income through licensing or the sale of their patents.

Patent trolls are often considered to be opportunists who use the patent system to make easy money by suing companies for patent infringements that are often minor or questionable.

Companies can also become the target of patent trolls when they develop innovative products or services that could potentially infringe patents held by NPEs. For this reason, companies can take preventive measures to avoid becoming the target of patent trolls, in particular by conducting thorough prior art searches before developing or engaging in a new activity, or by building patent portfolios and acquiring licenses on relevant patents.