On the recordDecember 5, 2013
Patent trolls are not about protecting patents. They are about trolling for easy money at the expense of hardworking people. Patent trolling is a total and complete abuse of the patent system and is a total rip-off of hardworking people. Worst of all, it is a complete abuse of good people who are trying to do good things in their communities. Let me give you a couple of examples. In Vermont, MyWebGrocer is a Web-based company--innovative--located in Winooski, Vermont, with over 180 employees. They have experienced six patent troll attacks. One of the trolls claimed to have a patent-- and get this--on surfing the Web with a mobile device. This was a stickup. Another completely outrageous example is of a Vermont nonprofit. It assists individuals with developmental disabilities. This nonprofit was targeted by a patent troll that was demanding payment for a supposed infringement on scanning technology. Can you imagine what it is like for a small nonprofit, doing good work, to get a letter that is essentially a stickup? That is what it is. What these businesses and nonprofits then have to decide is: Do they pay the bounty or do they fight? This legislation is definitely needed so that our nonprofits and our small businesses can get on with the good work they are doing without the threat of abusive patent trolling.
