Crypto advocacy group COPA partners with Unified Patents to launch Blockchain Zone campaign to combat blockchain patent trolls

Crypto advocacy group Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) and patent-focused organization Unified Patents announced the launch of "Blockchain Zone," a campaign targeting patents under the control of non-practicing entities (NPEs), covering a range of technologies including NFTs, wallets, smart contracts, and more. COPA said the partnership aims to protect blockchain companies and developers from "baseless and costly" legal claims by patent trolls, or NPEs, who take advantage of the high costs of litigation to negotiate settlements. These entities aim to profit from patents by licensing them or suing those who use them without permission, but they typically do not use the patents themselves. According to Unified Patents, these entities accounted for 58% of all patent lawsuits in the United States last year, 95% of the time against technology companies. (Cointelegraph)