The U.S. Federal Trade Commission can take action against patent trolls when the patent-holding firms engage in unfair business practices, even as the agency works to complete a study on their business model, a commissioner said.

The FTC plans to complete its ongoing study of patent licensing firms—often called patent assertion entities (PAEs) or patent trolls—within the next year, FTC Commissioner Julie Brill said Wednesday. In the meantime, the agency should target its enforcement power toward PAEs when they unfairly threaten patent infringement lawsuits, Brill said during a forum on PAEs.

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