FTC, DOJ….and PAEs

An upcoming joint public workshop by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice is scheduled for December 10, 2012, to address a topic near and dear to the heart of this blog: Patent Assertion Entity Activities.

In its press release for the event, the FTC describes patent assertion entity activities as “purchasing patents from existing owners and seeking to maximize revenues by licensing the intellectual property to (or litigating against) manufacturers who are already using the patented technology.” In other words, a more cynical party might comment, litigation–friendly companies who clog the nation’s patent dockets.

 

The workshop is designed to “explore the impact of patent assertion entity (PAE) activities on innovation and competition and the implications for antitrust enforcement and policy.” Not only is it free and open to the public—your bloggers plan to be there—but interested parties may submit public comments to ATR.LPS-PAEPublicComments@usdoj.gov up and until March 10, 2013.

With panelists ranging from academics to economists, industry representatives to private attorneys, the day should be a lively one, and you can check out the agenda here.