War of the trolls

A House subcommittee is putting the finishing touches on legislation that would significantly increase the uncertainty surrounding patents by making it much easier to challenge issued patents and more difficult to obtain injunctions against infringers.

The subcommittee's work is the beginning of what is likely to be a lengthy effort to overhaul the patent system. Although final action may be over a year away, the next few weeks are a key moment because the basic framework for the House's patent reform initiative is being put into place...