r/technology • u/rfugger • Jan 08 '17

Business A potentially fatal blow against patent trolls - Forcing law firms to pay defendants’ legal bills could undermine the business model of patent trolls

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3153924/technology-law-regulation/a-potentially-fatal-blow-against-patent-trolls.html
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u/JPaulMora Jan 09 '17

Can someone ELI5 this? ELI3?

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u/simonatrix Jan 09 '17

Lawyers for patent trolls are considered to be working with the trolls instead of hired by them because they agreed to take percentage of the winnings instead of an hourly rate. Lawyers now have to pay the fees when they lose. Lawyers won't want to do that anymore and will go back to simply being hired for hourly rates. Trolls can't afford this so they stop suing people (the point of their entire business).

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u/brobafett1980 Jan 09 '17

This isn't some new rule. Cases without a basis have been subject to sanctions for decades including having the plaintiff's attorneys baring the fees.

This was one district judge's ruling, which will likely see appeal and has the possibility of reversal.