Operating Company Litigation Surged in Q4 2024
February 12, 2025
Operating companies added 352 defendants to patent litigation campaigns in Q4 2024, a 38% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. This past quarter, operating company filings were 25% higher than in Q3 2024 and were 38% greater than the trailing Q4 average.
| Defendants Added | Change Compared to: | ||||
| Q4 2024 | Q4 2023 | Q4 2021-2023 Average | Q3 2024 | ||
| Operating Company | 352 | 38% | 38% | 25% | |
| NPE | 493 | 19% | -1% | 3% | |
| Total | 845 | 26% | 13% | 11% | |
Overall, patent plaintiffs added 845 defendants in the fourth quarter of 2024, or 26% more than in Q4 2023 and 11% more than Q3 2024, also beating the trailing average by 13%.
Operating company litigation also rose significantly last year as a whole: In 2024, such plaintiffs added 1,174 defendants, or 16.8% more than the year before. Overall filings were 19.7% higher in 2024 compared to the prior year.
See RPX’s fourth-quarter review for more on district court filings in Q4 and 2024, including NPE activity, as well as other key trends that shaped patent litigation last year.