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Test for "Obvious" Patents Questioned

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the state-the-obvious dept.

bulled writes "News.com is running a story about a case coming before the US Supreme Court on testing new patents for 'obviousness'. The decision has potential to significantly impact the High Tech industry." From the article: "Several Silicon Valley heavyweights, including Intel and Cisco Systems, have submitted supporting briefs that urge the Supreme Court to revise an earlier ruling. That ruling, they claim, has helped make it easier to obtain patents on seemingly 'obvious' combinations of pre-existing inventions."

7 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Easy money by tttonyyy · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. Patent "obviousness" test algorithm
    2. Collect royalties recursively from patent office
    3. PROFIT!

    --
    biopowered.co.uk - catalytically cracking triglycerides for home automotive use since 2008. Just say no to big oil!
    1. Re:Easy money by DigitAl56K · · Score: 2, Funny

      Unfortunately there is already too much recursive prior art. See here.

  2. It's a perfectly reasonable patent by edwardpickman · · Score: 1, Funny

    I intend to fiercely defend my "On" switch patent. There is nothing obvious about pressing an "On" switch to start a computer as thousands of computer illiterates can attest to. I also plan to defend my plugging computer into wall socket patent. Thousands of other techically challenged have been aided by my patent on this process. My "On" switch patent on monitors is still pending but hopefully that should be approved any day now. It's horrible and unamerican challenging my right to patent everything in sight. Please remember to send me a dollar if you turned your computer on today.

  3. Re:The issue is obviousness *before the fact* by Duncan3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Actually, everything on /. is usually in

    #4. In widespread use for 10-20 years before the patent was filed.

    --
    - Adam L. Beberg - The Cosm Project - http://www.mithral.com/
  4. Re:How about reforming patents all together... by unknownideal · · Score: 2, Funny

    In Soviet Russia... Oh yeah, that's right, Soviet Russia no longer exists. So much for leaving it to the state.

  5. How about a yearly contest? by stabiesoft · · Score: 2, Funny

    I say make it like the olympics. Each category gets say 50 patents/yr. A category would be say pharma, or chips, or fusion, etc. At the end of each year, the PTO, looks at all the submissions for the year and the top 50 get the patents. This would stop the dumb ones, (they'd never win) & make the good ones get even more noteriety. After all, one of the goals of patents was to make the technology disseminated. I ask, does ANYONE review patents for "Hey thats a great idea, I'd like to license and manufacture that?"
    Of course, software patents would just not get a category. Copyright is the correct way to handle sw.
    my 2 cents

  6. Re:How about reforming patents all together... by evil_Tak · · Score: 2, Funny

    The government is not supposed to be in the business of enriching individual people or corporations, and they are well aware of it.

    You must not be referring to the United States government.