Dear Friend of Digital Freedom,

When universities invent, those inventions should benefit everyone. Unfortunately, they sometimes end up in the hands of patent trolls, companies that serve no purpose but to amass patents and demand money from innovators.

Why are universities selling patents to trolls in the first place? Shouldn’t they sell their inventions to companies that will actually do something with them?

We’ve fought patent trolls in the courts and advocated for laws that bring fairness to the patent system. Universities are the next battleground. EFF is leading a coalition to change universities’ patent policies, and we need your help.

If you think that universities shouldn’t sell or license patents to trolls, then please join us in telling your university to sign the Public Interest Patent Pledge (PIPP). The PIPP is a promise that before selling or licensing its patents to a third party, a university will assess the business practices of that party and make sure that it will use those patents responsibly.

Colleges and universities care about the voices in their community—students, alumni, faculty, parents, and others. You have the power to convince your university to stand up for innovation.

Tell your university: Don’t sell patents to trolls.

Thank you,

Elliot Harmon
Activism Team
Electronic Frontier Foundation

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