At Founders Workbench, we regularly counsel our technology and start-up clients that protecting their intellectual property should be a priority when founding a new company. IP protection is also a top concern for the people who matter most to founders – founders’ capital sources, such as venture capital and angel fund leaders- who also rank IP as a priority when considering funding start-ups.
When Founders Workbench partners talk IP protection with our trusted clients, we invariably field detailed questions about dealing with potential patent litigation from “non-practicing entities” (NPEs) – commonly known as “patent trolls.” Given the volume of questions, we thought a guide to NPEs and their role in the U.S. IP regime would be helpful to our clients.
That’s why we’re pleased to share with our clients the release of Goodwin Procter’s NPE Litigation: A Tactical Guide for Practitioners. Designed as a definitive guide for in-house counsel and business executives at companies facing current or potential patent litigation with NPEs, the Guide is yet another free tool available to founders looking for expert legal advice as they build their companies.
The NPE Litigation Guide is grounded in a thorough review of data about NPE litigation, and will give founders and legal practitioners specific tactical and strategic guidance regarding NPE litigation. Some of the topics the Guide addresses include:
• What exactly is an NPE?
• How many NPE litigations are actually filed each year?
• Did the America Invents Act alleviate or exacerbate the rise of NPE litigation and what could be the effects of the pending legislation before the U.S. Congress?
The NPE Litigation Guide is published by Goodwin Procter’s IP Litigation practice group. You can view the Guide’s Table of Contents or sign up for a free copy of the Guide here.