President Barack Obama took a shot at so-called "patent trolls" Tuesday by announcing a series of executive actions and legislative recommendations designed to curb patent exploitation.

Patents are a particularly significant issue in technology, as major companies such as Apple and Samsung, as well as smaller companies, use patents like cannonballs in a constant back-and-forth barrage of copyright infringement lawsuits. While a number of patent cases are undoubtedly valid, some companies are criticized as using frivolous patent suits to get settlement money rather than creating innovative new products that drive economic growth — they're "patent trolls."

"What we are talking about is the explosion of abusive litigation by patent trolls where there are threatening claims made, often illegitimate or shaky patent claims that are designed to extract settlements simply by those who seek to avoid the cost of litigation," said a senior Obama administration official on a conference call Tuesday. "Settlements that are not based on the legitimacy of the patent claim but just on the threat of even higher costs through litigation. There is no question this is putting abusive litigation over innovation and is hurting economic growth and is distracting some of our greatest innovators from their core economic mission."

SEE ALSO: Obama: Patent Trolls Hijack Others' Ideas to 'Extort Some Money'

Of Obama's five executive actions on patent reform, one in particular could help reduce patent trolling: a "Real Party-in-Interest" requirement that forces patent applicants and owners to announce the actual top-level company controlling a particular patent.

This, says the White House, should stop patent owners from setting up what it calls "shell companies," which allow true patent owners to hide behind a shield of obscurity while they sue other individuals or companies for infringement.

From the White House release:

Patent trolls often set up shell companies to hide their activities and enable their abusive litigation and extraction of settlements. This tactic prevents those facing litigation from knowing the full extent of the patents that their adversaries hold when negotiating settlements, or even knowing connections between multiple trolls. Today, the PTO will begin a rulemaking process to require patent applicants and owners to regularly update ownership information when they are involved in proceedings before the PTO, specifically designating the “ultimate parent entity” in control of the patent or application.

Since Obama is limited in what he can do for patent reform through executive actions, his administration issued a series of patent reform recommendations for Congress, including: giving the Patent and Trademark Office teeth to enforce the "Real Party-in-Interest" action; allowing judges to award attorneys' fees as punishment for abusive infringement filings; and incentivizing patent holders to publicly file demand letters in a searchable fashion, among other suggestions.

"We stand ready to work with Congress on these issues crucial to our economy, American jobs, and innovation," reads a White House fact sheet emailed to reporters. "While no single law or policy can address all these issues, much can and should be done to increase clarity and level the playing field for innovators."

At least one bill addressing patent trolls, the SHIELD Act (Saving High-Tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes), has already been introduced in Congress.

President Barack Obama's actions come two years after he enacted the America Invents Act, which made sweeping changes to the United States patent system in March. Earlier this year, Obama said his administration's efforts at patent reform "only went about halfway to where we need to go."

The White House's fact sheet is embedded below. Do you think the government should take further steps to reform patent law? Share your thoughts in the comments.

White House Patent Fact Sheet

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