RPX gets funding from Kleiner Perkins, Charles River for patent acquisition
A stealth-mode San Francisco outfit called RPX, which calls itself a “patent acquisition services company”, has taken an undisclosed funding from top firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Charles River Ventures.
Details look thin on exactly what RPX does, but the general outline seems to be a risk mitigation consultancy that can help companies protect their patents for less money. Patent litigation (often brought by unsavory characters known as patent trolls) often costs big companies millions a year, or more. [Update: RPX contacted us to say its services aren't about protecting companies' patents, but rather reducing the impact of non-practicing entities, i.e. patent owners who don't manufacture or use their inventions.]
The company says that it plans to launch its service in October.
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About the Author, Chris Morrison
Chris Morrison writes about cleantech and environmental issues for VentureBeat, with occasional forays into gaming and semantic technology. He got his start writing about tech for Business 2.0 magazine, but quickly realized new media was the ticket when that institution closed its doors in 2007. Chris has also covered public equities and regulatory issues. He originally hails from southern Virginia, graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington, and now lives in San Francisco.