At Shopify, we prioritize choosing the right path over the easy one. Our merchants face this decision every day as they work to run successful businesses. But this concept applies in the judicial system too, and against an unscrupulous opponent: patent trolls.
Patent trolls stealthily orchestrate hundreds of patent litigation cases yearly, with no accountability. They often target small businesses and start-ups and stifle innovation and entrepreneurship – especially in emergent technologies. What’s worse, these patent trolls can actually deter small businesses and entrepreneurs, who can’t afford to fight or lose a legal battle. According to Harvard Business Review, companies settling or losing patent troll cases reduce investment in R&D by an average of more than $160 million over the next two years.
