patent troll
n.— «So-called “patent trolls” send legal letters warning companies that their products are infringing on patents, and asking for millions of dollars in licensing fees. The person widely credited with coining the term is Peter Detkin, former assistant general counsel at Intel Corp. He used the term to describe a company that unsuccessfully sued Intel for about $8-billion (U.S.) in licensing fees, based on a patent it bought for $50,000. (He actually called Chicago-based TechSearch “patent extortionists,” but changed it to troll after the company sued him for libel.)» —“Guarding ideas or just patent blackmail?” by Mathew Ingram Globe and Mail (Toronto, Can.) June 2, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...
There are eight major planets, but more than a million minor ones, including asteroids. If you discover one, you get the honor of naming it. The Dictionary of Minor Planet Names includes minor planets named for rock bands, jazz musicians, poets, and...