Director David Kappos
Director of the USPTO David Kappos delivered a keynote address last week to the Center for American Progress that focused on software patents and the smartphone “patent wars.” The speech is noteworthy for the Director’s strong defense of software patents. The entire speech is worth reading – here are a few excerpts to induce you to:
Futurist Thomas Frey: In July, David Kappos, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, announced expansion plans for the USPTO that would involve opening satellite offices in Denver, Dallas, and San Francisco. These coupled with the previously announced office in Detroit would draw on a diverse new talent pool for future examiners.
Continue reading… “Four Key Trends Driving the Future of Patents”
Patent trolls rack up legal and licensing bills.
The scourge of inventors everywhere are firms that collect and enforce patents of dubious value—with no intention of creating the invention described in those patents. They force large companies to rack up legal and licensing bills, and scare away startups from putting out novel products. These firms raise prices for all of us, and they generally slow down the future. Everyone hates them.
Companies are filing overly broad patents on obvious ideas in the hope that one day the technology will become feasible.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reports that “the quality of patent filings has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. The rush to protect even minor improvements in products or services is overburdening patent offices. This slows the time to market for true innovations and reduces the potential for breakthrough inventions.”
Continue reading… “OECD warns quality of patents ‘falling dramatically’”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
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