"Over the past two months, a little-known entity called Rich Media Club LLC has filed lawsuits against major news publishers, accusing them of using online ad tools that it says infringe its patents. The publishers targeted include Comcast, Guardian Media Group, Gannett, News Corp's UK publishing arm News Group Newspapers, and MediaNews Group, which publishes dozens of local newspapers."
"Two legal experts told Business Insider the suits showed the hallmarks of a " patent troll," while adding that the term is often contested. Some people reserve the description only for companies that buy or file patents with the sole purpose of asserting them against others. Others also use it to describe when " non-practicing entities" - those that own patents but don't use them in their ordinary business - target companies with infringement claims."
""It certainly does seem to fit the classic patent troll model," said Mark Lemley, professor of law at Stanford Law School. "Often the strategy is to seek relatively cheap settlements based on the cost and uncertainty of litigation." These suits differ from the ordinary patent troll playbook by targeting the end users - publishers - rather than other technology companies, said Colleen Chien, professor of law at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology."
Rich Media Club LLC has filed patent-infringement lawsuits against several major news publishers, alleging that online advertising tools used by those publishers violate its patents. Named defendants include Comcast, Guardian Media Group, Gannett, News Group Newspapers, and MediaNews Group. Web publishers are contending with declining search traffic and a volatile advertising market, and defending these suits could incur legal costs above $1 million per publisher. Legal experts say the suits show characteristics of the patent-troll model, where plaintiffs seek settlements because litigation is costly and uncertain. These cases are notable for targeting end-user publishers rather than technology firms, echoing past broad enforcement tactics.
Read at Business Insider
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