Techdirt has had this sort of patent improvement discussion multiple times but I've never seen any information on how 'skilled in the art' patent examiners actually are. If you have two companies conducting breakthrough research, I'd argue that only those who are at the forefront can say whether the newest iteration is non-obvious, despite what the larger profession or public may think.
Consider also how your proposal would benefit/facilitate/protect 'independent invention;' if the patent's exact methods are not freely available than its difficult to claim the invention has been copied.
On the post: Just Because Something's New Doesn't Mean It's Not Obvious
Skilled in the Art
On the post: Just Because Something's New Doesn't Mean It's Not Obvious
Re: Registered Trade Secret
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