Minnesota’s Deal With An Alleged Patent Troll

The Minnesota attorney general’s office has concluded a settlement with a company that is widely derided as a patent troll. MPHJ Technology Investments LLC claims it owns patents that cover the process of scanning documents and sending them as email attachments, and it has sent out thousands of letters to companies and non-profits that use that technology, demanding as much as $1,200 to avoid a lawsuit. The Minnesota settlement does not go to the merits of the patent claim, but it requires that MPHJ give the AG’s office 60 days notice and get consent before sending out any more letters in the state. The company’s lawyer says at least one letter that got some media attention – not in Minnesota, but to a Vermont non-profit that helps disabled vets – was wrongly targeted, but he maintains the patents are valid and the threat strategy is warranted.