New Study Links Patent Trolls to Decline in R&D Spending and Other Ills

A new paper (“Patent Trolls: Evidence from Targeted Firms”) written by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Texas  offers more evidence of the harm that patent trolls cause to the American economy.  The data show that (1) trolls target companies flush with cash, (2) seek targets likely to settle rather than litigate, and (3) that troll suits have a negative impact on the future innovative activity of targeted companies.

This is but further evidence that substantive reform of our broken patent litigation system should be a priority if Americans are serious about encouraging innovation.