EOC: week5 patent trolls

(http://www.mactrast.com/2012/08/legislation-would-make-patent-trolls-pay-legal-bills-for-defendants/)

"Patents have a life span of 17 or 20 years. To keep them valid, companies must pay maintenance fees every four years. Once they expire, the holder is expected to remove the numbers from products" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463843289453872.html). Recently a gentlemen named Raymond Stauffer decided to take into action the patent law which states any expired patent number must be pulled off the sales floor. He filed this claim with a well known retailer, Brooke's Brother for having old patent numbers on current selling bow-ties which had expired in the 1950s. With the law at place was Mr Stauffer in the right, by placing a lawsuit against the retailer Brooke's Brothers? Even though the product we speak of, a fashion bow-tue reflects no harm onto a person? The states we can. Since this suit, people all over states are looking for patent expedition numbers. "Lawyers for product manufacturers now fear clients are liable for up to $500 for every tube of mascara or box of garbage bags marked with an expired patent—an error that turns out to be quite common" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463843289453872.html).
Since patent lawyers are going to extremes to find these expire patent numbers, corporations are spending numerous amount of time, research, and money to track the problem and reissue the patent numbers before they in counter another lawsuit.
"Corporations are spooked, according to numerous attorneys who represent manufacturers of consumer products. They are checking the status of patents and scrambling to review the product lines on shelves to be sure labeling is up-to-date. And they are contacting suppliers to make sure their patents are valid" (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463843289453872.html).
Will this solve the patent lawsuits against corporations whom use expired patent numbers? So far it looks like corporations are now taking full responsibility and taking matters into their hands by doing extensive research on their current selling products and their vendors.