Trade Agency ‘Patent Troll’ Bill Seen as Harmful for IP Owners

A bipartisan bill to prevent what sponsors call “abuse” of a US trade agency by patent-licensing entities has the potential to prevent other US entities from enforcing their intellectual property, some attorneys warned.

The “Advancing America’s Interests Act,” introduced last month by Reps. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and Don Beyer (D-Va.), would impose new restrictions on “non-practicing entities” that generate revenue through patent licensing and litigation. The measure would limit their access to the International Trade Commission to block imports that infringe US patents.

The commission’s role in protecting IP was originally intended as a platform for US companies ...