Congress Moves Forward With Useless Patent Reform That Won't Fix Any Real Problems

from the too-bad,-so-sad dept

Wed, Sep 7th 2011 5:06am — Mike Masnick

With Congress and the President pretending that a bad patent reform bill is all about "creating jobs" even as there's little evidence that the reforms will actually do anything, Congress appears to be poised to approve the bill. Of course, the bill does almost nothing to address the real problems of the patent system, but that won't stop the grandstanding. More important, it won't stop the political back-scratching. While Congress won't debate the bigger issues, they will be considering amendments that benefit a particular constituency rather than looking at anything that will actually benefit innovation or the economy.

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Filed Under: patent reform, patents

33 Comments

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xenomancer (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 5:10am

I wonder if they think we engineers are into S&M. Its so much fun to have your hands tied behind your back while getting fucked in the ass by bad and/or useless laws.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 5:47am

Congress Moves Forward With Patent Reform That Won't Fix Any Problems We Want Addressed, So They Suck.

FTFY.
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- E. Zachary Knight (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:32am
  
  Re:
  Sorry. This is Congress ignoring the problems of the patent system which have been highlighted in court and the media repeatedly.
  
  It is a real problem that no one in any position to make the needed changes is willing to make because they fear lobbyists more than their own constituencies.
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- Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:58am
  
  Re:
  Are you saying that they shouldn't fix problems?
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  - Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:18am
    
    Re: Re:
    No, I am saying that Mike doesn't like the reform because it doesn't "address the problems" that he wants addressed, so it must be useless.
    
    Basically, Congress isn't going to neuter patents, so Mike isn't happy.
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    - IronM@sk, 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:45am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      You really are an idiot.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:54am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        and you sir, are really not adding anything to the discussion.
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        The eejit (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:00am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        The black kettle would like to have a word with you, Pot.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 8:10am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Where I come from, problems are a bad thing that need solving.
      
      You post reads as if you don't want problems (whichever they are) to be solved.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 8:12am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        No, all I am saying is that there are issues being addressed by legislation, and those are being "solved". It might not be the issues Mike thinks are the most important, or the legislation might not accomplish what Mike wants (significant limitations on patents), but they are not just randomly playing with patents for fun.
        
        The assumption is that the only problems or issues for Patents are the ones Mike brings to the table, and that would be wrong.
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        Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 8:28am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        The thing is, it is not just Mike saying the same thing, so you are just being dishonest about the whole thing.
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        BeeAitch (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 12:35pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        "...they are not just randomly playing with patents for fun."
        
        Mike has never claimed this. If you actually read the post (I know it's hard, but c'mon, it's a short post for chrissakes):
        
        While Congress won't debate the bigger issues, they will be considering amendments that benefit a particular constituency rather than looking at anything that will actually benefit innovation or the economy.
        
        Reading is fun!
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    - Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:26am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      I believe that "eliminate" is more accurate than "neuter".
      
      This will open up our economy to innovation, create more jobs, and let us all hold hands and rejoice as we sit around the campfire singing "Kumbaya".
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- Chris Rhodes (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:14am
  
  Re:
  Wait, are you claiming that Mike has an opinion?
  
  DAMNIT! How could I have never seen this before!
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exitstageleft (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:01am

Congress, congress, congress. I keep telling people, "if we voted them in, then we can vote them out"...so to speak.
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- The eejit (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:01am
  
  Re:
  OR shoot them, so long as you don't copy an execution scene form any film, book or comic. EVER.
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- Miff (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 1:10pm
  
  Re:
  But the other person is probably just as corrupt.
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anonymous, 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:10am

what do you expect? it's easier for them to do something like this than tackle any serious issues, isn't it? do you want them to actually work for a living?
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:11am

The Democracy Paradox
If you left people choose, they will choose to fail.
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hegemon13, 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:36am

"Bipartisinship" in action
I always hear people crying out for more compromise and bipartisanship in Washington. Well, here it is, and here's what you get for it. When you have two parties who are both on the wrong track, the only thing you know when they agree on something is that it must be exceptionally bad.
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Scooters (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 6:45am

When scanning the headline, I saw the words...
"Congress" and "useless" and stopped reading for blatant obviousness.
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BongoBern (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:36am

Your tax dollars in inaction.
Does Congress actually know anything about this?
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mike allen (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:38am

congress in the USA British Gov. French parliament in fact most countries in the world when it come to Patents and / or copyright are all useless and that should be blatently obvious to any one with a half a brain.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 7:48am

Patents are already "fixed".
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- BeeAitch (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 12:38pm
  
  Re:
  You mean "fixed" as in professional wrestling?
  
  If so, then I agree.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 8:34am

Coincidence? ...
Congress and useless in the same sentence. The only way to make it better would be to rearrange the title a little.

"Useless Patent Reform Moved Forward by Congress That Will Fix Nothing.

Im feeling a tad cynical today.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 8:55am

The present system in Washington is broken and I do not think that voting for Republicans and Democrats will fix it.
We need a lot of new blood there with intelligent ideas.And with the morals you should have when your decisions will effect millions.

This is not happening in Washington.There is very little intelligence there now.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:05am

Abolish IP!!!!
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Steve R. (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:23am

Appearance Over Substance
As you watch the machinations and posturing of our politicians it is all about the appearance of doing something. The fact that the "something" is nothing more than smoke-and-mirrors is inconsequential. Our politicians continue to simply kick-the-can down the road and claim that they have successfully made the tough decisions for which we should be grateful. Disgusting.
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- BeeAitch (profile), 7 Sep 2011 @ 12:41pm
  
  Re: Appearance Over Substance
  Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!
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AJBarnes, 7 Sep 2011 @ 9:37am

Really?
you're surprised that they're all about show and how they look rather than substance? That's been the centerpiece of this administration. Why bother to think now?
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staff, 8 Sep 2011 @ 9:56am

patent bill is bad for America
Masnick, for once we agree.

"patent reform"

Just because they call it �reform� doesn�t mean it is.

The patent bill is nothing less than another monumental federal giveaway for banks, huge multinationals, and China and an off shoring job killing nightmare for America. Even the leading patent expert in China has stated the bill will help them steal our inventions. Who are the supporters of this bill working for??

Patent reform is a fraud on America. This bill will not do what they claim it will. What it will do is help large multinational corporations maintain their monopolies by robbing and killing their small entity and startup competitors (so it will do exactly what the large multinationals paid for) and with them the jobs they would have created. The bill will make it harder and more expensive for small firms to get and enforce their patents. Without patents we cant get funded. Yet small entities create the lion's share of new jobs. According to recent studies by the Kauffman Foundation and economists at the U.S. Census Bureau, �startups aren�t everything when it comes to job growth. They�re the only thing.� This bill is a wholesale slaughter of US jobs. Those wishing to help in the fight to defeat this bill should contact us as below.

Small entities and inventors have been given far too little voice on this bill when one considers that they rely far more heavily on the patent system than do large firms who can control their markets by their size alone. The smaller the firm, the more they rely on patents -especially startups and individual inventors. Yet Congress has almost completely ignored the testimony of inventors. Congress tinkering with patent law while gagging inventors is like a surgeon operating before examining the patient.

Please see http://truereform.piausa.org/default.html for a different/opposing view on patent reform.
http://docs.piausa.org/
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patent litigation, 12 Sep 2011 @ 6:10pm

senator speaks
Senator Maria Cantwell may have said it best: "This is not a patent reform bill. This is a big corporation patent give away that tramples on the rights of small inventors." It's certainly a shame that Sen. Coburn's amendment (ending fee diversion by Congress) didn't stand a chance. But considering the current political climate, I suppose it's not surprising.
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