Patent Troll
Noun · Startup & VC
Definitions
A pejorative term for an entity that acquires or asserts patents primarily to extract licensing fees or settlements rather than to build products. Startups fear patent trolls because litigation risk can be expensive even when the claims are weak.
In plain English: A company or entity that uses patents mainly to demand money through legal pressure.
Example: "The company settled with a patent troll rather than spending months in court."