NPE Filings Increased by 10% in the Third Quarter
October 16, 2025
NPEs added 530 defendants to patent litigation campaigns in Q3 2025, a 10% increase from the third quarter last year. Q3 NPE filings were 9% less than in Q2 2025 but exceeded the trailing Q3 average for 2022-2024 by 12%. So far this year, NPE filings are up by 23%, as also noted above.
Operating company plaintiffs added 283 defendants this past quarter, or 4% more than in Q3 2024. Litigation by operating companies was down by 14% compared to the second quarter but was up by 12% compared to the trailing Q3 2022-2024 average. In Q1-Q3, operating company litigation went up by 6%.
| Defendants Added | Change Compared to: | ||||
| Q3 2025 | Q3 2024 | Q3 2022-2024 Average | Q2 2025 | ||
| NPE | 530 | 10% | 12% | -9% | |
| Operating Company | 283 | 4% | 12% | -14% | |
| Total | 813 | 8% | 12% | -11% | |
Overall, patent plaintiffs added 813 defendants in the third quarter of 2025, or 8% more than in Q3 2024 and 11% less than Q2 2025, also beating the trailing average by 12%. Filings are up by 17% in Q1-Q3.
See RPX’s third-quarter review for more on the key trends that shaped patent litigation in Q3 2025.