The United States Patent and Trademark Office has been known to grant patents for vague, obvious, common sense (e.g., U.S. Patent 5,443,036 which describes cat exercise) or impossible (e.g., U.S. Patent 6,960,975 which describes a device that defies the laws of physics) supposed "inventions." This lack of judgement leads to patents that are vague and thus easy for companies like Uniloc and Forgent Networks to weaponize via lawsuits against American businesses. Such suits are estimated to cost billions of dollars per year and the frequency of these frivolous suits has increased such that they now make up the majority of patent infringement lawsuits. Patent trolls contribute nothing to society and Congress must take action to protect American businesses from these frivolous lawsuits.



