House Bill Raises Bar for Suits Over Patents

The New York Times:  WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill protecting technology companies and their customers from nuisance patent-infringement lawsuits by shell companies that exist merely to gather dormant patents and threaten lawsuits against suspected violators.

The measure, known as the Innovation Act, would force companies that bring patent-infringement lawsuits to disclose information about who ultimately owns a patent and would benefit from a settlement or award and to specify how a patent is being violated.

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