A “Troll” By Any Other Name

The term “troll” has never been defined as it relates to patent litigation, yet it is routinely employed by courts and legislatures as they rally to defend operating companies from lawsuits filed by non-practicing entities. “Who is going to argue in favor of trolls, particularly when you don’t define it?” asks Timothy Holbrook, who teaches patent law at Emory University. 3M and General Electric Co. are two companies that might – they worry that proposals to limit litigation might go too far.