Letter to the editor:
Re: “U.S. must protect its sensitive information — Judicial transparency can help in fight against patent trolls,” by John Ratcliffe, Dec. 20 Opinion.
Former Rep. John Ratcliffe is right. It’s time for greater transparency around who is funding patent troll litigation — and any lawsuit — in the U.S.
Patent trolls buy up patents, not to incorporate them in new products and services, but simply for the purpose of filing questionable lawsuits. It’s a classic case of our courts being used for greed, not justice.
Many of the entities behind these patent troll lawsuits are foreign governments or shell companies, and they’re exacting a high cost on U.S. job creators and innovators. They also have turned to two courts in Texas, the Eastern and Western District Courts, in which an outsized number of patent troll cases have been filed in the past several years.
Requiring greater transparency around who is financing these patent lawsuits is a critical legal reform that deserves bipartisan support. By shining a light on the governments and entities funding these suits, we can ensure citizens and businesses with legitimate claims still get their day in court.
Robert Wood, Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse, Austin
Republished from The Dallas Morning News, December 28, 2023
