Patent Trolls, Under Fire, Ramp Up Lobbying Efforts

With Congress drafting a handful of bills targeting “patent trolls,” and the Federal Trade Commission using its subpoena power to launch an investigation into their practices, the target firms are establishing a lobbying arm in Washington. Intellectual Ventures, often considered one of the major trolls, has taken the lead in trying to convince lawmakers that “patent-assertion entities,” their preferred term, benefit inventors, innovators and startups, and that they are being unfairly targeted by major technology companies.