GAO report News

Questionable Software Patents Main Reason for Rise in Lawsuits: GAO

Software patents are the biggest reason behind a rise in litigation over inventions, especially against companies that use the technology, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found. Its study, required under a law passed in 2011 that overhauled the U.S. patent …

Insurers, Customers Were Kept Safe from 2008 Financial Crisis: GAO Report

At a time when efforts are underway to require additional supervision of some large insurers, a new government report concludes that the insurance industry’s own practices and the policies of state and federal regulators successfully shielded most of the $1 …

Dead Farmers Get Millions in Federal Crop Insurance Payouts

The U.S. Agriculture Department paid out $32 million in soil conservation payments and crop insurance aid to dead farmers from 2008 to 2012, congressional auditors said on Monday, calling for stricter rules to prevent improper payments. In a report, the …