More on the patent mess
The total ineptitude of the US Patent Ofice in assessing software continues to create turmoil. Now it’s eBay’s turn to have its business disrupted. Ed Burnette at ZDNet writes about it in eBay faces partial shutdown in patent dispute. He also comments on the Blackberry fiasco at Patent terrorists ruin an industry.
As I commented before, the whole idea of what is patentable needs to be examined and the patent system has to be brought out of the cogs and wheels era. PC World has an article Patent Overload Hampers Tech Innovation with the sub-heading “Application backlog and continuing patent disputes add up to a mounting crisis” and a lead paragraph
Much has been made of recent patent applications–such as one involving emoticons on cell phones–that seem a far cry from real breakthroughs like the lightbulb. And while many of the weakest patent applications are eventually rejected, some experts believe that an overworked and underfunded U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is issuing more and more patents that never should have passed their first review.
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