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FTC to Examine Patent Application Process

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-wanna-patent-russian-dressing-flavored-soda dept.

Armchair Dissident writes "The BBC is running an article that suggests that the FTC is to look into the way that patents are reviewed and issued. If this article is correct it seems that many guesses as to how patents are issued were correct; with 95% of patent applications being approved. They may also address the issue of "patent trolls"."

2 of 307 comments (clear)

  1. I know! by Mysticalfruit · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I think I should quickly patent patenting!

    --
    Yes Francis, the world has gone crazy.
  2. Re:For a moment I thought this was good... by Timothy+Brownawell · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Actually, that's not really right in either respect.

    With both patents and copyrights, the number of areas one is excluded from are really fairly large. For example, you are not allowed to publicly perform works, though that is not a copy in the eyes of the law, nor are you allowed to import them in various manners, which also isn't even vaguely related to copying. Likewise, patents deal with many issues related to inventions.

    Copyright only covers using someone else's work. You can't do that by accident.

    Patents cover a specific way of doing things, whether copied or independently invented. It is possible to violate a patent without knowing about it.

    However, since all patents are on file, there's no reason for people to accidently infringe on a patent. They can and should know that it exists; they're just not checking.
    They very well could be checking, but just not quite thouroughly enough.

    ...and since when does everyone who might possibly come up with something they think is "new" have the resources needed for a thourough patent search?

    Tim