A cheaper alternative to patent lawsuits

The program will match a seller claiming infringement and the accused merchant with a neutral, third-party lawyer.

According to engadget.com, the company is testing a program to help fight utility patent infringements. It’s meant to be a cheaper, faster alternative to traditional patent lawsuits, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to settle.

For a $4,000 deposit, the program will match a seller claiming infringement and the accused merchant with a neutral, third-party lawyer. If the accused party doesn’t respond to claims that it violated the seller’s utility patent — which details how a product is used — the product will be removed from Amazon, and the seller will get their $4,000 back. If the accused merchant wants to argue that it should be allowed to keep selling the product on Amazon, it will also have to make a $4,000 deposit. The lawyer makes a decision and collects $4,000 from whichever side loses. The winner will get their deposit back, and according to an Amazon spokesperson, the company doesn’t take a cut from anyone for going through its “Utility Patent Neutral Evaluation” process.

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