Members of a U.S. House of Representatives panel disagreed on Wednesday on elements of a bill to rein in companies that demand licensing fees for invalid patents or are otherwise dishonest in writing what are known as "demand letters." _0"> The measure would give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the power to impose civil penalties on patent assertion entities, sometimes called "patent trolls," which make dishonest licensing demands. The bill, introduced by Representative Lee Terry, a Nebraska Republican, would require the agency to prove that a company it wants to penalize has acted in "bad faith." Further, the bill would pre-empt stricter laws already passed by a handful of states. Terry said his measure "strikes the appropriate balance" by respecting the free speech rights of companies while also stopping them from sending dozens or hundreds of aggressive and sometimes inappropriate letters demanding licensing fees. A subcommitt