Patent reform tops list of tech policy concerns
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Government officials, advocacy groups and tech execs gathering at this week's Tech Policy Summit bring a number of issues to the table, but one's rising to the top -- the need for patent reform.
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PC Magazine - The issues of patents, indemnification and the potential risk of using open-source software took center stage at the keynote panel of industry leaders at the Gartner Open Source Summit.
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Proposed legislation for overhauling the U.S. patent system would either hurt a system that's worked for 200 years, or fix a badly broken mess, or cost more money, or save more, or raise intellectual-property values, or lower them... yes, the lobbyists have been busy on Capitol Hill as the reform debate continues.
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By Brier Dudley, Seattle Times  Sep. 25--The tech industry has a new role in Washington state -- as the poster child for education reform.
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Patent cross-licence deal cover all but cutting-edge techs
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IBM Tuesday announced a change to its policy on applying for and enforcing patents on its intellectual property. Most importantly, the company said it intends to reduce the number of patents it applies for in the field of business methods, and will make the content of its patent applications public.
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In Europe, industry leaders, government officials and others debate whether patents would hinder or cultivate innovation.
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Tech politics watcher Brian Kahin says the patent system should suit different needs, granting one sort of patent for software, for instance, and another for drugs.
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Four new investigations involve chips and computing devices, including possible patent violations.
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Could bring US patent awards in line with rest of world A proposed law revolutionising US patent legislation has passed through a vital committee of the House of Representatives. The bill has got further than previous attempts at such reform.â¦
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OCTOBER 04, 2004  - Some things are patently ridiculous. One is the US patent system, an institution in desperate need of reform.
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(InfoWorld) - A group of five Republican senators is seeking a delay in legislation, supported by several large tech vendors, that would overhaul the U.S. patent system. The five, including Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sam Brownback of Kansas, have asked for more hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee moves ahead with the Patent Reform Act, which is scheduled to be amended and approved in a Thursday hearing. The five sent a letter Monday to the Judiciary Committee asking for more hearings. "Many prominent American businesses on the cutting edge of innovation are expressing concerns about the impact of sweeping patent reform," said the letter, also signed by Senators Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Jon Kyl of Arizona and Jeff Sessions of Alabama. "These concerns merit thoughtful deliberation." Many observers have called the Patent Reform Act the most sweeping reform of U.S. patent laws in decades. The bill would make it tougher for inventors to obtain new patents, make it easier to challenge patents, and reduce the legal penalties for patent violations. Microsoft Corp., Cisco Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. have praised the bill, saying it's too easy for the owners of questionable patents to sue tech companies and collect large damages or shut down entire product lines with court injunctions when one small piece of a product allegedly infringes a patent. "This important measure ensures that our patent system continues to foster innovation and economic growth by promoting improvements in patent quality [and] discouraging litigation abuse," Microsoft said in a statement when the bill was introduced. But five Republican senators raised concerns about the bill, echoed by some small tech companies and other members of the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, a group calling for less sweeping changes to the U.S. patent system. The senators questioned the bill's attempt to apportion patent award damages. The bill would limit the damages a patent holder can collect when an infringing technology is part of a larger product, based on the value of the patented technology itself, instead of the value of the larger product. Courts now generally consider the value of the larger product when assessing damages. The senators also questioned the bill's provisions to allow new ways to challenge patents after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted them. These changes "need to be more carefully examined to ensure that they do not undermine innovation, increase frivolous litigation, or undermine property rights," the letter said. The letter also calls on the committee to look harder at ways to improve patent quality.
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In an attempt to quell increasing criticism over the nation's patent system, the Bush Administration is looking to make changes to require more specific information, and allow the public to comment.
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Brussels braces for the next battle Intellectual property lobbyists are warning that new plans to shake up Europe's policy on patents could put patentable software back on the menu, as well as upping legal fees and putting small businesses in jeopardy.â¦
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Patent reform legislation before the U.S. Congress would kill the value of patents and allow companies from other countries to steal U.S. intellectual property, a group of inventors said Thursday.
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The House Committee on the Judiciary approved far-reaching legislation to reform the nation's patent system Wednesday.
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U.S. lawmakers returning from their summer break are expected to consider patent law changes that have pitted two of America's most invention-dependent industries against each other.