The FTC wants patent reform; that is now evident. A commission to study the USPO came out with far reaching recommendations for patent reform too, including the need for more technologically compentent people there. Both strongly urge that it should be easier to overturn frivilous patents.
Now what we need is a) this to be pushed through Congress and
that a retroactive clause for past technology patents be reexamined and those without merit to be overturned. The momentum is already there. This is a fortunate and unexpected development. Now it needs the push! Because left to themselves, even when pointing in the right direction, anything bureaucratic and/or legislative tends to go at a snails pace -- without that push. And with the Net and the courts, talking about this now but not passing anything until 2005 is not going to help anyone here. This needs to be an early 2004 issue on Capitol Hill.
How to create that push? Besides the importance of IMPA to make this a top agenda item, also write your Congressmen, tell them you work on the internet, that you are involved with ecommerce, and ask them are they are aware of the ridiculous patents, especially those regarding tech and Net issues. Point them to news articles and the FTC reports and tell them about the urgency of the matter and that it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. And if you have a particular Congressman who is on (or heads) an important committe dealing with commerce, technology or bureacratic oversight, all the better!
11-11-2003
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