The list of those waging battle with so-called patent trolls already includes big technology companies, Congress and the White House. Now, New York’s attorney general is joining that group.
Eric T. Schneiderman, New York state’s top prosecutor, has reached a civil settlement with Delaware patent firm MPHJ Technology Investments LLC, barring it from using what he called deceptive tactics to get New York businesses to pay for patent licenses, according to the agreement.
The settlement applies only to MPHJ and New York state. But the attorney general intends to apply the agreement’s terms to other firms that buy up patents and seek to make money from them through licensing and litigation.
“The requirements imposed on MPHJ in the settlement should be viewed by other patent trolls as the minimum standards that such entities…must follow to avoid liability,” said a statement from Mr. Schneiderman’s office, which is expected to announce the deal on Tuesday.
