Businesses have tried many different ways to avoid infringing other companies’ patents, but one strategy clearly doesn’t work. If a business doesn’t itself infringe a patent, but deliberately enables others to do so, the business will still face liability–for inducing patent infringement.
This cause of action–inducing infringement–is vital to many patent owners. Electronics companies, for instance, often rely on this cause of action to go after overseas wrongdoers. Financial and Internet firms often use it to protect their online business method patents.
