WASHINGTON – The US House today passed legislation to reform the patent system, aiming to stop broadly written patents and so-called “trolls” who submit applications in the hopes of later capitalizing on hefty licensing fees.

WASHINGTON – Global semiconductor sales were $27.06 billion in October, up 7.2% year-over-year, and up 0.8% sequentially, says the Semiconductor Industry Association. October marked the eighth consecutive month of growth in sales and the industry’s first-ever month above $27 billion in sales, the firm says.