back to article UK patent troll protections tweaked – lawyers exempted

Lawyers are exempt from tweaks to UK law aimed at combatting "patent trolls". The Intellectual Property (Unjustified Threats) Bill received Royal Assent last week to little fanfare. UK law already protects people against vexatious litigants, and the 1977 Patents Act specifically incorporated a section providing "remedy for …

  1. Pat Att

    Are you in support of unclear law Andrew?

    The previous section was rather unclear, and left many questions unanswered. It therefore acted to prevent attempts at settlement before going to court. The new text tries to address the problems, and so should be better for everyone, and result in fewer court cases.

  2. Your alien overlord - fear me

    Has this been thought of?

    How about patenting being a patent troll? Any company trolling would then be liable themselves for unlimited damages :-)

  3. The First Dave

    I don't understand - I thought that genuine lawyers acted for most Patent Trolls anyway?

  4. Nick Kew

    UK law - even if it works - won't protect anyone against a 'Merkin aggressor. And being in the right doesn't help when you find yourself banned from trading in your markets.

    c.f. what happened to RIM when attacked by NTP pirates.

  5. Redstone

    After all...

    why should the legal profession ( I believe the legal term is: socialis parasitus) face any legal consequences for inferior work? Legal consequences are only for the plebs.

    1. streaky

      Re: After all...

      I don't think the law does that honestly. Here's the thing - the lawyers advise their client and act on instructions. If a lawyer gives bad advice to client, they make threats then end up on the wrong end of this law, their client possibly has a case of professional malpractice - that's for them to argue with their lawyer over. What the changes in theory seek to do is stop the other side from using threats against the lawyer as opposed to their client and driving a wedge, which creates moral hazard between the lawyer and their client.

      TL;DR: There is a cost for lawyers giving their client poor advice, this shouldn't be about that.

    2. katrinab Silver badge

      Re: After all...

      I guess they think that the existing remedies are sufficient, see for example ACS:Law.

  6. Daggerchild Silver badge
    Pirate

    Many words. Brain hurts.

    So, is it safe to be an inventor here yet or not? Is China still safer?

    1. Mark 85

      Re: Many words. Brain hurts.

      I'm not sure any place is safe.

  7. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    More difficult to be an inventor in the UK

    But then you can't patent software.

  8. Andy The Hat Silver badge

    Will this new law protect my registered design and trademark if, for instance, someone was using a completely different logo with a completely different trading name but decided, if a consumer was completely blind, then it was similarly fruity to mine and would take me to court ... ?

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