Seven years after first suing over his "Buy it Now" patents, patent lawyer and MercExchange founder Thomas Woolston finally settled with eBay yesterday. The auction giant announced it purchased three MercExchange patents, ending all claims. [NYT]

Judge David Folsom, in the Eastern District of Texas today, banned the term "patent troll" from his courtroom. In his ruling, the judge wrote that the term "has no probative value and would unduly prejudice the Plaintiff." Does this mean MercExchange will quit abducting princesses? [Patent Troll Tracker]