S. Korea's leading R&D firms vulnerable to patent right disputes

SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- A majority of South Korean companies engaged in
aggressive research and development (R&D) projects are vulnerable to patent
rights disputes, an umbrella business group said Wednesday.
The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said 70 percent of the 30 companies
surveyed expected to receive claims by so-called patent trolls down the road,
with 20 percent saying they have already been attacked or are expecting imminent
action.
The companies surveyed include such conglomerates as Samsung Electronics Co. and
Hyundai Motor Co.
Patent trolls refer to a person or company that enforces patents against one or
more alleged infringements in a manner considered unduly aggressive or
opportunistic. Often these claims are lodged by people and firms that have no
intention to manufacture products or market the patented invention.
There are an estimated 220 such companies including intellectual ventures
currently operating in the world, accounting for roughly 14 percent of all global
patent lawsuits in 2008.
The FKI added that while past disputes were concentrated against local
information technology companies, patent trolls have started to expand their
operations into autos, ship building and steel, and could spread to the energy
and bio-tech areas in the future.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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