Welcome to the Essential Patent Blog! This blog was started in response to increased interest and litigation surrounding standard-essential patents (SEPs). Historically, most SEP issues were relegated to theoretical discussions in academic literature or conference presentations. But that’s changing. Many in industry, the media, the legal world – and even Congress and administrative agencies – are paying increased attention to SEP issues. Several patent-related blogs previously had posts on SEP issues, but none focused primarily on the myriad legal issues and disputes surrounding SEPs. That’s where we come in: Our aim is to be the one-stop shop for all SEP litigation issues. And we will hit other patent litigation issues along the way.