The Threat of "Patent Trolls for Hire"
Hiring third-party patent trolls to launch coordinated lawsuits against their rivals undermines trust in competing companies while simultaneously stifling competition and innovation, ultimately leading to higher prices for American consumers.
agree it's a problem when companies file lawsuits to block competitors rather than compete
agree there should be clear laws that punish companies that misuse the U.S. legal system
say these lawsuits slow down innovation and product development
Source: Fabrizio Ward Survey, 2025
Our At-Risk Judicial System
The Patent-Trolls-for-Hire scheme undermines the fundamental integrity of the U.S. legal system by transforming courts into weapons for anticompetitive attacks rather than forums for legitimate dispute resolution. Patent assertion entities (PAEs) litigation surged 22% in 2024 from 2023—eroding public trust in judicial institutions and creating a dangerous precedent where deep-pocketed actors can manipulate and abuse legal processes to eliminate competition through harassment rather than merit.
