New Target for Patent Trolls, And It’s Not In Retail

Patent trolls have been most active in the technology and retail industries. Now, according to a Morgan Lewis white paper, a new trend has emerged and the so-called NPEs (non-practicing entities)  are looking at a sector previously untapped: energy, including oil, gas and power generation. NPE cases have increased in this sector from 10 percent of patent cases filed in 2006 to nearly 30 percent in 2013. This is due in part to energy companies’ increasing reliance on computer technologies, but there are other reasons as well. The white paper advises energy companies to revisit their budgets and patent strategies, and it provides some specific strategy recommendations.