Prevent unwanted litigation
while preserving the use of your
patents with LOT Network

Join the community of 5,600+ global industry leaders
who have collaboratively immunized themselves
against lawsuits from Patent Assertion Entities
(PAEs, also known as “patent trolls”).

JOIN NOW

Preview LOT Agreement » For Startups »

John Squires

David Kappos

LOT Network BRIDGE Annual Member Meeting
October 1, 2026

Keynote Presentation: A Director’s Fireside Chat
A conversation between current and past Directors of the USPTO

John Squires

David Kappos

John Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO
David Kappos, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, and Former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO

Learn More

STARTUPS:
Protect your business from unwanted litigation.
You don’t need to own patents to be sued.

Patent assertion entities (PAEs, aka “patent trolls”) can target your company simply for using third-party technology essential to your operations.

LEARN MORE

No effect on the traditional
uses of patents

LOT shelters you from PAE litigation while
enabling you to protect your innovation.

“And early in 2020, IBM joined the License on Transfer Network (”LOT Network”), a non-profit community of companies that supports open innovation and responsible stewardship of technology. LOT Network affirms the traditional use of patents—safeguarding the innovations of companies who research, develop, and sell new technologies— while protecting its members against companies who purchase or acquire patents from others.”

International Business Machines v. Airbnb, Inc. (1:20-cv-00351-UNA)

Stay ahead of the shifting patent landscape

Well-financed PAEs and litigation finance companies are buying patents that companies sell as older patents and larger portfolios become expensive to maintain. USPTO leadership changes, policy decisions, M&A activity, and the trajectory of European Unitary Patent Court filings add to the risk.

In uncertain economic times, smart companies find low-cost ways to insulate themselves from PAE risk – risk that LOT has mitigated.