Cisco’s Patent Counterattack Fails
A federal judge in Chicago has dismissed legal claims filed by Cisco Systems Inc. against a licensing company, in a decision that dims the network-equipment maker’s hopes of turning the table on so-called patent trolls.
In a ruling issued late Monday, U.S. District Judge James F. Holderman held that the aggressive licensing strategy used by Innovatio IP Ventures LLC against Cisco customers is protected by the U.S. Constitution. Companies such as Innovatio, more formally known as patent-assertion entities, buy up patents and seek to earn money from them through licensing and litigation.