Note: Some data included in this story has been updated.
From Main Street U.S.A. to the halls of Congress, ordinary citizens are up in arms over the patent trolls who send form letters to hundreds or even thousands of random small businesses, claiming with little or no evidence that they are “infringing” the troll’s patents. Typically, these letters demand so-called “licensing fees,” ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 or more to avoid a patent infringement lawsuit that could cost these businesses far more to defend against in court—even if the business owner is innocent of any infringement.
