Patent Assertion Entity Activity

claimed in a patent. Demand does not include complaints or pleadings filed with a United States District
Court or the United States International Trade Commission.
“Held” means to possess a legal right to a patent, where “legal right” means any ownership interest in,
an exclusive license to, or other rights adequate to license or enforce a patent.
“Holding Entity” means a firm identified by a Responding Firm in response to Specification B.2
that held but did not assert patents during the study period. Specification B.2 required Responding
Firms to identify all parents, wholly or partially owned subsidiaries, incorporated unincorporated
divisions, affiliates, branches, joint ventures, franchises, operations under assumed names,
websites, or other person(s) over which the firm exercises or has exercised supervision or control
since January 1, 2009. (Firms identified in response to Specification B.2 that did assert patents are
called “Affiliates.”) There are 2,189 Holding Entities in the study.
“Litigation” means any civil action commenced in a United States District Court or with the United
States International Trade Commission.
“License” means authorization by the patent holder to practice the claimed invention, including, but not
limited to, a covenant not-to-sue and a covenant not-to-assert.
“Non-practicing entity” or “NPE” means patent owners that primarily seek to develop and transfer
technology. 350 For Chapter 4 only, “NPE” means an NPE whose data are reported in the Wireless Case
Study.
“Patent” means a United States patent or United States patent application as defined by 35 U.S.C. § 101,
et seq.
“Patent assertion entity” or “PAE” means a firm whose business model primarily focuses on purchasing
and asserting patents. 351
350
FTC EVOLVING IP MARKETPLACE REPORT, supra note 1 at 8 n 5.
351
Id.
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