Patent trolls buy up old patents solely to bring frivolous lawsuits just to extort money. It has thing to do with what Howard Hughes, Eastman Kodak and others have done protection their work and assets.
that is actually an outside case. The Asprin Trademark was seized by the US government as an Enemy asset in connection with WWII. Basically the same sort of action that resulted in Ansco (GAF) losing their connection to Agfa.
Yes, except that, at least in the case of Aspirin, the US seized the trademark in much earlier, in 1918, as a result of the WWI hostilities. I consider the seizure of the trademark to be unfair, but it was affirmed by the US courts many years ago. I believe Bayer still owns the trademark in many other countries.