The Evidence and Significance of Predatory Infringement of Patents

The United States’ patent system has been a driver of economic growth and a primary reason for American global technological leadership in the twenty-first century. A weakened patent system, however, has led to the rise of predatory infringement, a deliberate decision by a company to engage in patent theft because it is cheaper than obtaining permission (licensing) and paying for the use of someone else’s technological innovation.What has caused the weakening of the US patent system? What is the evidence of predatory infringement? And what is the policy significance of predatory actors’ theft of other companies’ innovative technologies? A panel of experts will explain the legal developments in patent law, the economic impact of predatory infringement, and the evidence-based reforms that could restore the US patent system’s historical status as the global gold standard.