The Supreme Court Wanders into the Patent Troll Fight

The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the Inter Partes Review (IPR) process at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which determines the validity of patents. This case, Oil States Energy Services, LLC vs. Greene’s Energy Group, LLC, will decide whether this administrative process is constitutional. The IPR process has greatly reduced anticipated costs and threats from patent troll litigation. Should it be deemed unconstitutional, the entire system of USPTO administrative review would shut down, which could have significant implications for technology companies. Cloudflare joined other tech companies in a brief amici curiae supporting the IPR process, arguing that it has a substantial positive impact on technological innovation in the United States.