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Senate Passes Landmark Patent Reform Bill

Posted by samzenpus on from the problem-solved dept.

inkscapee writes "The US Senate is congratulating itself for passing a 'landmark' piece of patent reform legislation. Some key elements are 'first to file' instead of first to invent, and ending fee diversion, which means fees paid to the Patent Office will actually fund the Patent Office. Curiously, this practice has resulted in a backlog of 700,000 patent applications. The House is reportedly working on a similar bill, and soon harmony and rationality will triumph."

2 of 362 comments (clear)

  1. Re:wait by Gumshoe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't first to file REALLY bad? It helps patent trolls doesn't it?

    Yes. It's a disaster. In effect if you invent something you now have to patent it or possibly suffer the consequences from a patent troll. It's a money spinner for the patent office if nothing else.

  2. Re:wait by IP_Troll · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First to file encourages people to file for patents sooner rather than waiting for someone else to file and cutting them off with a first to invent claim.

    First to file doesn't favor patent trolls, they can't patent the invention if someone else was using it publicly and didn't bother to patent it.

    If anything it cuts off patent trolls because they can't keep inventions a secret waiting for someone else to file a patent, and then usurp that patent from the original filer.