Enplug prides itself in being actively engaged in the tech community and takes the integrity of the patent process very seriously. Enplug is one of 54 companies, along with Google, Intel, Twitter, Amazon, Shopify and Salesforce, that have joined together to take action on this important issue as signatories on a letter to Congress requesting specific patent reforms.
Why Positive Patent Reform Is Needed
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) was created in 2011 as part of a larger initiative to level the playing field for companies developing new technologies by removing barriers to innovation. However, recent procedural trends show that contrary to this goal, the PTAB is denying reviews which effectively shields illegitimate patent claims from invalidation.
Patent trolls – individuals and companies that do not make anything or productively employ anyone – are taking advantage of PTAB procedures. When they file frivolous and abusive claims, they hurt the manufacturers and service providers the patent process is designed to protect. As a result, they’re raising the cost of innovation and lengthening the time it takes to bring new technology to market, all without adding any value.
What We Request of Congress
We are asking Congress to to review:
- The number of discretionary denial decisions and their rapid growth
- The extent to which such decisions result in denial of meritorious petitions that would otherwise have resulted in the institution of an Inter Partes Review (IPR)
- The effects of the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) policies on the amount and costs of actual or threatened patent infringement litigation
- The economic impact of such policies, specifically including the effect on costs borne by U.S. consumers and businesses
You can read more about the need for patent reform on the website of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which has previously petitioned Congress on the matter.
Innovation is a core value of all the work we do at Enplug. Ensuring effective, fair and timely patent processes is necessary to protect the innovation that forms the backbone of our economy, which is why we stand behind positive patent litigation reform