Big challenges certainly confront the global patent system: Escalating patent application backlogs; lengthening pendency periods; increasing costs of patent prosecution; dubious patent quality due to the global explosion of prior art and the time allowed to examine applications; and examination inefficiency due to duplication of work by multiple offices.
But these challenges also present unprecedented opportunity. One of the biggest is the opportunity to advance patent harmonization.
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The logical next step is to accelerate the work underway to align patent approval procedures and application formats, including a common digital application, and to collaboratively set standards for patentable subject matter, adequacy of disclosure and enablement requirements, and the completeness of the examination record. Bold action is needed.
Riiight: "bold" as in "infect the rest of the world with the insanity that is the US patent system" bold, I imagine - not forgetting software as "patentable subject matter" while we're at it.
Danke, aber nein, danke, Horacio.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca.
I've been saying ever since we halted the software patent directive that the pro-patent lobby's next strategy was to use their massive cash mountain to lobby in every EU country & then come back in 5 years and call for "harmonization". Every EU country is the front line...
ReplyDelete@webmink: so do you think this represents the formal start of hostilities?
ReplyDeleteTo a degree. If the next step is formal moves in international venues, then yes. I believe this is what we'll discover ACTA is all about.
ReplyDelete