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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72322</law_id><section_number>59.1-215.2</section_number><catch_line>Bad faith assertions of patent infringement</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="59.1">Trade and Commerce</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="18.1">Bad Faith Assertions of Patent Infringement</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A person shall not make, in bad faith, an <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span>. <a id="paragraph-260513" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The following shall constitute indicia that a person&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span> was made in bad faith: <a id="paragraph-260514" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The <span class="dictionary">demand letter</span> does not contain:
				a. The number of the patent that is asserted, alleged, or claimed to have been infringed; or
				b. The name and address of the patent&#x2019;s owner or owners and assignee or assignees, if any. <a id="paragraph-260515" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The person sends a <span class="dictionary">demand letter</span> to a <span class="dictionary">target</span> without first making a reasonable effort under the circumstances to conduct an analysis comparing the claims in the patent to the <span class="dictionary">target</span>&#x2019;s products, services, and technology, or to identify specific areas in which the products, services, or technology are covered by the claims in the patent. <a id="paragraph-260516" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The <span class="dictionary">demand letter</span> does not identify specific areas in which the products, services, and technology are covered by the claims in the patent. <a id="paragraph-260517" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The person offers to license the patent for an amount that is not based on a reasonable estimation of the value of a license to the patent. <a id="paragraph-260518" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B5" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> The person making an <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span> acts in subjective bad faith, or a reasonable actor in the person&#x2019;s position would know or reasonably should know that such assertion is baseless. <a id="paragraph-260519" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B6" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">6.</span> The <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span> is deceptive, or the person threatens legal action that cannot legally be taken or that is not intended to be taken. <a id="paragraph-260520" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B6"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B7" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">7.</span> The person or its subsidiaries or affiliates have previously filed or threatened to file one or more <span class="dictionary">lawsuits</span> based on the same or similar <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span>, the person attempted to enforce the <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span> in <span class="dictionary">litigation</span>, and a <span class="dictionary">court</span> found the assertion to be objectively baseless or imposed <span class="dictionary">sanctions</span> for the assertion. <a id="paragraph-260521" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B7"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B8" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">8.</span> The patent alleged to be infringed was not in force at the time the allegedly infringing conduct occurred, or the patent claims alleged to be infringed have previously been held to be invalid. <a id="paragraph-260522" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#B8"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The following shall constitute indicia that a person&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">assertion of patent infringement</span> was not made in bad faith, but the absence of such indicia shall not constitute <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of bad faith: <a id="paragraph-260523" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> The person engages in a reasonable effort under the circumstances to establish that the <span class="dictionary">target</span> has infringed the patent and to negotiate an appropriate remedy. <a id="paragraph-260524" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#C1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> The person makes a substantial investment in the use of the patent or in the development, production, or sale of a product or item covered by the patent. <a id="paragraph-260525" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> The person has:
				a. Demonstrated good faith in previous efforts to enforce the patent or a substantially similar patent; or
				b. Successfully enforced the patent, or a substantially similar patent, through <span class="dictionary">litigation</span>. <a id="paragraph-260526" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#C3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> The person is an institution of higher education or a technology transfer office organization owned by or affiliated with an institution of higher education. <a id="paragraph-260527" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#C4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> The lists of indicia in this section are non-exclusive, and all indicia need not be present for a <span class="dictionary">finding</span> of bad faith or good faith. <a id="paragraph-260528" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-215.2/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2014, cc. 810, 819.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
