Recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling could affect future patent cases

The unique processes or inventions that companies develop are some of their most valuable assets. It is crucial that businesses know how to protect intellectual property from possible infringement. 

Sometimes companies that provide similar services will develop similar technologies. This is seen in the technology industry, where patent lawsuits are common. 

As we have discussed previously on this blog, enterprise cloud service provider Akamai Technologies sued Limelight Networks for patent infringement. The case went before the U.S. Supreme Court. This case is significant because the ruling could have widespread impact across other industries as well. 

Even if a patent is only infringed on in part, there is ground for an infringement case. In the situation between Akamai and Limelight, although the Court of Appeals had previously ruled in favor of Akamai, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Limelight. This meant that "Limelight cannot be held liable for inducing patent infringement when no party has directly infringed the patent in question," Reuters reported. 

Patent cases have continued to make headlines as the purpose of some of these cases is to generate revenue. One of the issues lies in the interpretation of patents, which, when not worded specifically, can be open to more general interpretations, leaving room for infringement cases to take place. 

The recent ruling in the Akamai/Limelight case could make it harder for non-practicing entities, or "patent trolls" to be successful in patent infringement cases, according to Reuters. 

Businesses looking to safeguard their intellectual property from infringement can turn to a Phoenix, AZ business attorney for guidance in these matters. In the event that infringement occurs, a small business attorney can provide expert legal counsel and help develop a sound strategy that will keep your intellectual property safe. 

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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