Patent Trolls and Trial Lawyers Thwart Patent Reform

Time reports that Sen. Pat Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has pulled the patent reform legislation from the Senate’s agenda. Here is a snippet from the article:

Needless to say, trial lawyers are among the groups that benefit the most from rampant patent litigation. Engine Advocacy, a non-profit group that works to advance the agenda of startups on Capitol Hill, expressed disappointment at Leahy’s action.

“This news is devastating to the welfare of startups who will continue to face the threat of patent trolls,” wrote Engine Advocacy executive director Julie Samuels. “That no agreement could be reached, especially in light of the efforts being made across the committee to find common ground, is also bad news for the economy where annual losses from patent troll litigation are billions of dollars.”

The trolls, with no desire to actually make a product or process, will continue to march on with litigation based on dated technology and the prospect of expensive lawsuits.