Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association has joined several other trade associations, including SIIA, in an amicus brief in the case of Kahoot! v. Interstellar, asking the Supreme Court to hear this patent case that impacts companies under attack by so-called patent trolls.
The case involves the patent review process established with the America Invents Act (AIA) in 2011, which allows a review process for businesses to challenge weak patents that have become a key weapon for patent trolls to file frivolous patent claims. The patent trolls seek to shake down people and companies for settlement fees. In their amicus brief, CCIA and others point out that the US Patent and Trademark Office’s recent actions “violate its authorizing statute and are dismantling the congressionally enacted system of patent validity review.”
Since passage of the AIA more than a decade ago, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and IPRs have been highly effective at reducing abusive patent-troll litigation. Recent policy changes by the Patent Office to curb IPRs and dismantle PTAB are endangering that progress.
CCIA has advocated for 50 years for a patent review process to help clear weak and invalid patents, particularly those being misused by patent trolls to shake down companies with abusive lawsuits.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:
“For more than a century, the US patent system has incentivized innovations which underpin the economy. These laws, including the ability to challenge weak patents that bad actors increasingly misuse to attack innovators, must be upheld. Making it harder to disarm patent trolls would lead to even more litigation that discourages innovation and also drives up prices for medications, services, and consumer goods. We ask the Supreme Court to hear this case and provide guidance upholding the patent reforms Congress enacted.”
