Patent Office Wants To Open Up Shop In Silicon Valley... But Doesn't Want The Press To Know

from the why-not? dept

Mon, Apr 18th 2011 6:25am — Mike Masnick

Well, this is odd. Cathy Gellis points us to the news that US Patent and Trademark Office director David Kappos was out in Silicon Valley recently and convened an event that involved inventors, executives, intellectual property lawyers and politicians -- all discussing the idea of having the USPTO open a satellite office in Silicon Valley. You know who was missing from the meeting? The press. Apparently journalists were explicitly barred from attending, which reasonably upset some attendees.

�Why would you exclude the press from this?� said Neil Smith, an IP partner at Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley, who attended the event. �He didn�t say anything untoward or particularly controversial. I didn�t hear anything they would want to keep away from the press.�

It really does seem kind of strange. Why would they be so afraid of the press being there? Personally, I think it would be a very good thing for the USPTO to open up an office here, as they might spend a bit more time with Silicon Valley folks who are intimately familiar with the problems of the patent system.

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Filed Under: david kappos, press, silicon valley, uspto

9 Comments

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Ima Fish (profile), 18 Apr 2011 @ 7:10am

My guess is that some patent troll has a business method patent covering the opening of satellite offices to better meet the needs of customers. The Patent Office doesn't want anyone to know what they're doing so that troll doesn't sue them.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Apr 2011 @ 7:30am

Because opening up to the public is something that a government that wants to serve the public interest would do. Our patent system is not intended to serve the public interest and our government has absolutely no intent on serving the public interest. That's why they try to keep things like ACTA and TPP secret from the public, because they know that the public doesn't want these laws (and, no, contrary to popular troll belief, it's not because the public so desperately wants these laws that the govt doesn't want to get our hopes up in case the laws don't pass :) )
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Pixelation, 18 Apr 2011 @ 7:36am

"It really does seem kind of strange."

They are afraid of you Mike.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Apr 2011 @ 7:58am

The problem is that all the words that they are using are copy-written and they are afraid of getting caught on tape using words like is as and of.
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kcritter46, 18 Apr 2011 @ 8:35am

I know I am not playing the game right!
Why does the press have to be at every meeting in the whole
&^% ((*&^% world. All they are going to do is lie and lean toward one side or the other. Are they really so arrogant to believe that something cannot be achieved with out their presence.
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Hugh Mann (profile), 18 Apr 2011 @ 10:08am

Maybe 'cause the press is not always helpful?
There may very well be nothing at all nefarious in not inviting the press. Perhaps the PTO wanted to do some info-gathering, and not have to spennd time fielding questions from reporters, as opposed to the peolpe they think will actually be using such a branch office.

And it sounds like the attendees were not in any way prohibited from talking about it.

HM
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Shaun Wilson (profile), 18 Apr 2011 @ 2:32pm

Patent problems
...intimately familiar with the problems of the patent system.

Such as the fact that it exists?
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The Devil's Coachman (profile), 18 Apr 2011 @ 3:46pm

The reason is patently obvious! Heheheheh! He said patently!
They are trying to hide something! Like the salami. The one big enough to fit the public's orifice.
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patent litigation, 25 Apr 2011 @ 3:36pm

Unfortunately, due to budgetary pressures, it looks like the rumored Silicon Valley patent office (along with its imminent Detroit counterpart) will be delayed, along with other initiatives.
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