A proposed change in fee-shifting rules prompted patent holders to bring a flood of new patent cases on April 23—one day before the rules would retroactively go into effect.
According to the blog PatentlyO, which first reported the trend, 180 cases in one day is about five times the average. Using the tool PacerMonitor, which helpfully tracks all newly filed patent cases, we found that a handful of nonpracticing entities, or “patent trolls,” filed most of the suits in the Eastern District of Texas.
