Over 90% of Cybersecurity litigation is NPE related

Unified is pleased to announce the creation of its Cybersecurity Zone, a new zone directed to protecting technology relating to network security systems. Similar to Unified’s other NPE Zones, the objective of the Cybersecurity Zone is to deter frivolous NPE assertions against companies that provide innovative solutions to cybersecurity issues using technologies such as threat detection and prevention, encryption, behavioral analytics, and authentication systems. A complete list of technologies covered by this Zone is available in the Cybersecurity Zone definition.

A preliminary analysis of district court litigation revealed that an overwhelming 90% of cyber security litigation filed between January 2012 and April 2019 is attributed to NPE activity.

Top litigants include:

  • Finjan (34 cases)

  • ChriMar (82 cases)

  • Softvault (49 cases)

  • IP Edge (over 150 cases)

  • Brian Yates (over 20 cases)   

The growth in applications and devices utilizing users’ personal data (see Unified’s IoT Zone) combined with the recent uptick in cyber-related crime seems to indicate that cyber security solutions will be increasingly important in years to come. However, as the importance of this technology increases, the volume of NPE assertions is likely to grow as well.

Although the volume of cyber security-related patent litigation has fluctuated over the last several years, the proportion of NPE assertions has remained consistently high (between 77%-97% of all cyber security litigation).

Moreover, the volume of new cyber security cases has steadily grown in the last two years and is on pace to increase once again in 2019.

 

For more information about the Cybersecurity Zone or Unified’s NPE Zones, please contact us at: info@unifiedpatents.com

Methodology

This report includes all district court patent litigation filed between January 1, 2012 and April 18, 2019 that relates to network security, threat detection, and other technologies within Unified’s Cybersecurity Zone.

Total number of reported cases can vary based on what is included. Unified made its best attempt to eliminate mistaken, duplicative, or changes in venue filings, hence the totals may vary slightly compared to other reporting entities. Statistics include litigations initiated by NPEs or Declaratory Judgments (DJs) initiated by operating companies against NPEs.

Unified strives to accurately identify NPEs through all available means, such as court filings, public documents, and product documentation.