Contact
blog
Patrick Oliver

European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and IP2Innovate launch a joint campaign to fight patent abuse by Patent Assertion Entities

BRUSSELS April 26th 2021 -  European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and IP2Innovate today launched a joint campaign to fight patent abuse by Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs), otherwise known as patent trolls.

The two trade groups will shortly open a whistle blower line of communication to allow executives who have experienced a PAE attack to talk about it anonymously. 

“Most patent attacks go unnoticed. That’s because they are aimed at SMEs that can’t afford to go to court. These victims of patent trolling settle out of court. These are the firms we want to hear from,” said Patrick Oliver, executive director of IP2Innovate.

EU laws designed to discourage frivolous patent suits are often not applied in practice. IP2Innovate and European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME are pushing for better application of these laws.

“If Europe’s patent system is to function properly then it must address the problem of patent trolls,” said Stefan Moritz, Managing Director of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, the largest federation of voluntarily associated SMEs in Europe. 

“The first thing policymakers ask us when we see them is “give examples”. We have to explain that when you’ve been attacked and you have settled out of court, you don’t really want to shout about it,” Mr Oliver said.

“The aim with our campaign is to demonstrate that what we do see of patent abuse by PAEs is just the tip of the iceberg,” he added.

“SMEs are the powerhouse of Europe’s economy. If they have to fight off baseless patent attacks then that’s bad for the whole economy, not just the individual firms. Opportunistic attacks like these undermine the whole knowledge transfer process, and it is in Europe’s interests to ensure that EU law is applied and SMEs are defended,” Mr. Moritz said.

To mark World IP Day today, IP2Innovate published an article - supported by European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME - containing two case studies, that give rare insights into patent attacks on SMEs. “Hopefully we will collect more examples of the harm caused to European SMEs by patent trolls,” Mr Moritz said.


Contact:
Patrick Oliver, Executive Director
IP2I – Intellectual Property 2 Innovate
contact@ip2innovate.eu

Stefan Moritz, Managing Director  
European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME
stefan.moritz@cea-pme.com

#SOSPatentAbuse
 

Share

Other press releases

IP2Innovate

SEP regulation: a step in the right direction

BRUSSELS, 28 April 2023 – IP2Innovate welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to reform the licensing of standard essential patents. “This initiative should at least help level the playing field when standard essential patents licensing is involved,” said Patrick Oliver, executive director of IP2Innovate. “The proposal isn’t as bold as it was a week ago, but it still has certain important reforms in place. Opponents of this reform have lobbied intensely for the Commission to abandon it. I hope that in an effort to compromise, the Commission hasn’t opened up loopholes that would undermine its effectiveness,” he added. IP2Innovate welcomes the Commission’s effort to inject much needed transparency into SEP licensing, limiting the instances where patent owners could abuse the system. In his press conference on 27 April, Commissioner Thierry Breton referred to how the current SEP system enables patent owners to extract excessive royalties. “He is right. This happens not only with SEPs but also in the broader patent system too,” said Mr Oliver, adding: "We hope he is also right when he says this practise will become impossible in the areas of SEPs, and that he then turns his attention to fixing related problems that plague the broader patents system in Europe.” IP2Innovate members collectively have thousands of European patents, including SEPs. They believe that patents play a vital role in the innovation process. But when the system is abused patents become an obstacle to innovation. And it’s not only happening with SEPs. Many patent assertion entities (PAEs) are in business to exploit the weaknesses in the system. IP2Innovate was established in 2016 to combat patent abuse by these PAEs, often referred to as patent trolls. It has been pushing for courts to move away from granting automatic injunctions in patent disputes, and instead apply remedies that are proportionate, especially when highly complex products are involved.
Handelsblatt

Fight the patent rolls: Compromise on new law divides the economy

A change to the German #patent is likely to adopted this Friday, which for the first time considers the complexity of modern products in the digital age.
IP2Innovate

IP2Innovate calls on the European Commission to strengthen EU law to ensure a balanced patent system and enhance Europe’s competitiveness

BRUSSELS, 25 March 2024 - IP2Innovate is calling for targeted amendments to EU intellectual property law to ensure that European patent courts consider the proportionality of remedies in their handling of patent litigation cases. The proposed amendments will help create a more balanced patent system. This will spur innovation and, in turn, help to address Europe’s lagging competitiveness. The 2004 EU IP Rights Enforcement Directive (IPRED) requires that remedies for patent infringement be applied in a proportionate manner, but courts are handing out injunctions to patent owners in effect automatically, without considering the disproportionate impact that may result.
 Back to overview

Subscribe to our newsletter

Privacy policy

© IP2Innovate 2024 - Website door Two Impress