patent trolling

noun
/ˈpætənt ˌtɹəʊlɪŋ/UK/ˈpætənt ˌtɹoʊlɪŋ/US

Etymology

From patent troll, which is derived from patent + troll (“in folklore, a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills, or under bridges”), a reference to trolls in folktales who block the path of travellers or threaten to harm them unless some payment is made.

Definitions

  1. The practice of owning and enforcing patents in an aggressive and opportunistic manner,…

    The practice of owning and enforcing patents in an aggressive and opportunistic manner, often with no intention of marketing or promoting the subjects of the patents.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for patent trolling. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA