US Patent Office Making Some Changes To The Rules

from the good-for-them dept

With Congress debating patent reform and the Supreme Court correcting the mistakes of lower courts when it comes to patent laws, it seems that the US Patent and Trademark Office is finally starting to realize that there's widespread dissatisfaction with how it's going about things. Perhaps it's starting to realize that the purpose of the USPTO isn't to grant patents, but to promote innovation. To that end, it's making some minor, but still important, changes to the rules for patent examiners, hoping to improve the quality of patents being approved. The latest change is to try to cut down on overly broad patents and patents where the actual invention isn't entirely clear, by forcing applicants to only include a single invention in a claim. This way the examiners know what the invention is that they're actually supposed to be examining. The fact that this wasn't in place before (along with the suggestion that patent examiners weren't entirely sure what they were examining) should say something about the state of our patent system.
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Filed Under: patents, rules, uspto


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  1. identicon
    Mystified, 13 Aug 2007 @ 6:03pm

    Let's Hope

    Let's hope the process will become a continuing, incremental tuning of the system and not a one-time shot in the dark.

    Let's applaud and encourage their efforts and not be too cynical or skeptical. Don't forget - if you aren't part of the solution you are part of the problem. Speak up to your congressmen and tell them what's needed, or at least what is wrong. Complaining to nobody in particular gets you nowhere.

    First?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Maychic, On Patent Rules Changes, 13 Aug 2007 @ 6:37pm

    US Patent Office Making Some Changes

    I am glad to hear this, because the changes will dramatically cut down on the number of patent disputes.
    Maychic

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Kyros, 13 Aug 2007 @ 7:38pm

    I have to agree, hopefully this is the starting of a wheel.
    Changes to the patent industry are greatly needed, and hopefully this will lead to innovation.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    JBB, 14 Aug 2007 @ 8:02am

    No they aren't!

    Hey, I patented these rules and business practices. They can't use them without licensing the rights from me! Ha HA!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Bill, 14 Aug 2007 @ 2:30pm

    Even though these slight changes have come, won't all submissions prior be grand-fathered? Fixing future submissions doesn't do a whole lot if we're stuck with the incompetence of the past. While I applaud these baby steps, unless they are a prelude to sweeping changes, I don't see this as anything more than "business as usual".

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Phil, 15 Aug 2007 @ 1:25pm

    US Patent Office Making Some Changes To The Rules

    Well it's about time!!!! America's motto seems to be sue everyone and everything in sight if they look at you funny. This will take care of the patent side of things anyway.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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