CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Lawmakers are considering making it harder for companies with false patent claims — known as patent trolls — to demand that businesses pay licensing fees or be sued.

Sen. Sharon Carson is sponsoring legislation she hopes will identify false claims so businesses don’t feel their only recourse is to pay up to avoid costly litigation rather than test the validity of the patents in federal court. She says her bill, which passed the Senate last month, attempts to identify companies that buy up patents of questionable validity and use them to demand licensing fees from other companies.

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