Patent trolling costs operating companies an average of $3.2 million through the end of discovery and $5.2 million through trial to defend these cases when there is more than $25 million at stake, according to calculations made by the Trust.

"Even a small claim is highly disruptive and requires significant time and legal costs to defend," the Trust said in a statement. "Often, it is less expensive to settle for a smaller amount than is being sought, even when an operating company knows that it would eventually win."