DOI: 10.47743/jss-2025-71-5-3

Faculty of Law, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași

Abstract: In the present paper, we aim to analyze the legal status of so-called Patent Trolls entities, also referred to as non-practicing entities (NPEs), from the perspective of the enforcement of rights conferred by invention patents in the absence of actual exploitation of the underlying invention. Although patenting an invention confers specific exclusive rights, the issue arises to what extent their use for litigious purposes in a systematic manner, without the intention of producing or marketing a good, can constitute an abuse of rights. In this context, the natural question that arises is whether Patent Trolls entities can be regarded as promoter of innovation or as a genuine perpetrator of abuse of rights. In carrying out this analysis, the interpretation provided by U.S. case law is relevant, particularly in the case of eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, whici emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance in the exercise of exclusive rights. 

Keywords: patent trolls, patent, litigation, abuse of rights

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