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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
Statement by IP2Innovate in reaction to Commissioner Breton’s comments about the European patent system
“IP2Innovate welcomes Commissioner Breton’s today and we support his call for a balanced and effective European IP system,” said Patrick Oliver, Executive Director of IP2Innovate.
Financial Times
Apple, Microsoft and BMW urge EU to stop patent trolls.
Apple, Microsoft and BMW, together with a broad group of other tech companies and carmakers, have called on the EU to take action against so-called patent trolls, who buy up patents in the hope of making a profit through licences or lawsuits.
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”.