U.S. disputes over standard essential patents have entered a new phase of sustained volume and complexity, with annual SEP-related filings rising from 118 cases in 2014 to 223 in 2024 as more than 200 cases a year are now brought over technologies such as cellular, Wi-Fi, video codecs and wireless charging. Against this backdrop, the article shows how a growing share of lawsuits is being driven by patent assertion entities that target narrow slices of the standards stack, reshaping enforcement dynamics and forcing operating companies and implementers to rethink how they defend, settle and license across global product lines.…