Spike In Gun Patents In A Surging Firearms Industry

Gun-related patents are at a 35-year high, with manufacturers looking to build more accurate, easier-to-use weapons. Demand for guns has surged, thanks to more states allowing concealed weapons and intermittent threats by lawmakers to crack down on gun purchases, while gunmakers meanwhile work to capture a new audience. A record 370 patents in the firearms class were filed in 2012 for innovations including voice-command shooting and a new trigger system. The surge in patents has led to an accompanying rise in IP litigation, with at least eight lawsuits filed since 2013 began.