[ NNSquad ] "The Private and Social Costs of Patent Trolls" (9/19/11 - Boston University)

[Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>]

"The Private and Social Costs of Patent Trolls" (9/19/11 - Boston University)

http://j.mp/n8e0bi  (Lauren's Blog [local pdf copy])

    "Abstract: In the past, non-practicing entities (NPEs) - firms that
     license patents without producing goods - have facilitated technology
     markets and increased rents for small inventors.  Is this also true
     for today's NPEs? Or are they "patent trolls" who opportunistically
     litigate over software patents with unpredictable boundaries? Using
     stock market event studies around patent lawsuit filings, we find that
     NPE lawsuits are associated with half a trillion dollars of lost
     wealth to defendants from 1990 through 2010, mostly from technology
     companies. Moreover, very little of this loss represents a transfer to
     small inventors. Instead, it implies reduced innovation incentives."

 - - -

"Yes, 500 BILLION Dollars!" -- Dr. Evil

 - - -

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org
Founder:
 - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
 - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
 - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein 
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com