Intel Says Firm’s Patent Assertions Break Antitrust Law (1)

Fortress Investment Group violates antitrust law by funding patent assertion entities that assert “weak patents” against tech companies including Apple and Google, according to a complaint filed by Intel Corp. in the Northern District of California.

Fortress invests in the entities on “terms so severe that the PAEs have no choice but to make aggressive and reckless patent assertions to attempt to generate the revenue required to meet their obligations,” Intel says.

SoftBank acquired Fortress in 2017, and Intel says the struggling firm “has tried to turn around its performance and justify SoftBank’s investment in it” by investing in patent ...