Lawmakers Fear Some Patent Fights Could Hurt Competition
As companies battle over control of the technology used in some of the hottest devices and websites, leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee say they fear patents could be used to stifle competition. Rather than resolving patent disputes in court, some companies may use trade laws to inappropriately block other companies' patents, Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI) said in a letter to the Justice Department.
Some practices could be anti-competitive, Chairmen Leahy and Kohl warned. Asking the International Trade Commission to completely block use of a certain patent, rather than working out a compromise, poses "a significant threat to competition and innovation," the lawmakers wrote. Chairmen Leahy and Kohl said they had no position on the deals but said they highlight the potential for companies to use patents against each other. They urged the department to be "vigilant in monitoring the anticompetitive use" of patents.
Lawmakers Fear Some Patent Fights Could Hurt Competition Sens. Patrick Leahy, Herb Kohl ask DOJ to keep an eye on Google (Washington Post)