Technical standards like WiFi and 5G provide a common base for digital products to work together. Ensuring that the patented technology underlying these standards — known as Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs) — are licensed on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms is critical to promote competition and consumer choice. Unfortunately, this system and our standards are under threat as a growing number of SEPs are held by patent trolls, or non-practicing entities, who leverage them to extract monopoly payments from creators. As demand for WiFi and 5G compatible devices rises, so too does the impact of such abuse. This panel will shed light on how consumers, creators, and the economy are being held hostage by these bad actors, and what you can do to safeguard the future of innovation!