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The Wall Street Journal
A Push to End Germany’s Status as ‘Paradise for Patent Trolls’

A coalition of German blue-chip firms and foreign multinationals, including big U.S. tech firms, is advocating for legislation that would lessen the country’s appeal for those seeking to assert their intellectual property. Supporters of the proposed legislation say German patent law, rooted in the 19th century, is out of date. When Carl Benz received the patent for his car in 1886, “it was one patent for one product,” said Ludwig von Reiche, managing director for Nvidia in Germany and chair of the German Working Group of IP2Innovate.
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Patrick Oliver
European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and IP2Innovate launch a joint campaign to fight patent abuse by Patent Assertion Entities
BRUSSELS April 26th 2021 - European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME and IP2Innovate today launched a joint campaign to fight patent abuse by Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs), otherwise known as patent trolls.
IP2Innovate
IP2Innovate's 2nd statement on the Commission's intention to withdraw the SEP Regulation: Ahead of European Parliament’s JURI Committee hearing with EVP Stéphane Séjourné
BRUSSELS, 22 April 2025 - IP2Innovate: SEP regulation essential for European businesses' innovation and cost reduction
Ahead of European Parliament’s JURI Committee hearing with Commission's Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, IP2Innovate reiterates its strong opposition to the European Commission's intention to withdraw the SEP Regulation.
"Withdrawing the SEP Regulation now would be a grave mistake that undermines innovation, European competitiveness, and the EU legislative process itself," said Patrick Oliver, Executive Director of IP2Innovate. "The current SEP licensing environment is broken - unpredictable, fragmented, and inefficient - chilling innovation across sectors and eroding the competitiveness of entire European industries, who often face abuse by mostly non-EU entities. This situation places Europe’s supply chain security at risk and further limits the availability of innovative products and features and increases costs for European consumers."
"The Commission's claim of 'no foreseeable agreement' contradicts the facts. The European Parliament already adopted a position with overwhelming support, and the Polish Presidency has explicitly stated its readiness to resume work on the Regulation."
"Europe has become a venue where often foreign SEP holders litigate to exclude European companies from the market. The proposed Regulation brings essential transparency and fairness to a broken system."
"As we look to the future of standards, advancing - not abandoning - this Regulation is essential for Europe's technological competitiveness."
Patrick Oliver
IP2I shares feedback on the Commission’s roadmap for the IP Action Plan
IP2Innovate has responded to the request for feedback on the upcoming European Commission’s Intellectual Property Action Plan.