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Nanomedicine Patent Thickets Threaten Future

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the only-we-can-split-atoms dept.

cheesedog writes "Over 5000 nanomedicine/nanotech patents have now been granted, and the patent land grab continues unabated. Dr. Raj Bawa says, "Patent thickets are considered to discourage and stifle innovation. Claims in such patent thickets have been characterized as often broad, overlapping and conflicting - a scenario ripe for massive patent litigation battles in the future." According to Bawa, nanomedicine start-ups may soon find themselves in patent disputes with large, established companies, as well as between themselves. In most of the patent battles the larger entity with the deeper pockets will rule the day even if the innovators are on the other side."

3 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Worse than kudzu, I tells ya by Giant+Ape+Skeleton · · Score: 3, Funny

    The worst thing about Nano Patent Thickets is that they're fractally recursive.
    You can hack your way through them, though...if you've got a small enough machete.

    --
    The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.
    1. Re:Worse than kudzu, I tells ya by flyingsquid · · Score: 4, Funny

      I warned everyone that nanotech was a bad idea. Now what do we have? Nanopatents. Tiny, self-replicating patents. Soon, they will reproduce and patent everything on the planet, down to the last molecule, at which point all life on earth will drown in a sea of litigation.

    2. Re:Worse than kudzu, I tells ya by AndroidCat · · Score: 2, Funny

      How many nano patent lawyers do you have to kill and skin to make a pair of patent leather shoes anyway?

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.