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Wall Street Journal
Germany Shuts Door on Patent Trolls

Germany on Friday removed a legislative quirk that had made it a prime destination for globally active patent litigators who increasingly target fast-growing tech companies. Under the new legislation, courts examining a patent claim will conduct a proportionality check to decide whether an injunction would cause “undue hardship” to the alleged infringer or any third party. Ludwig von Reiche, IP2Innovate's board member told Wall Street Journal, that the law was an important step towards creating a better balance between patent and innovation protection. It remains to be seen how judges apply the new law, he added.
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Other press coverage
lesechos.fr
Guerre des brevets : la lettre de grands groupes mondiaux à Thierry Breton.
A hundred companies including Apple, Adidas, Microsoft, Sanofi and Volkswagen wrote on Wednesday to European Commissioner Thierry Breton, asking him to pull the rug out from under “patent trolls” feet, groups whose sole activity is the massive purchase of patents for prosecution purposes.
lessentiel.lu
L’Europe menacée par les «chasseurs de brevets»?
Patent trolls irritates European companies who fear that these companies will develop under new Community rules.
Managing IP
NPEs set sights on UPC and more patent acquisition - Blackbird, Dominion Harbor, Acacia, and Harfang IP say the market is hot for patent acquisitions and that litigation opportunities could soon emerge in Europe
Managing IP’s article outlining the views of Non-Practicing Entities (NPEs) on the Unified Patent Court (UPC) points out that several NPEs are gearing up for the launch of the UPC in the following months because the UPC’s centralised system “would make Europe a much easier place to litigate”. NPEs also argue that UPC would provide for another way to litigate in a “market comparable to China or the US”.