Comments on: Patent Reform Reportedly Top Priority in Congress http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/ Patents, Software Patents, Patent Applications & Patent Law Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:58:49 +0000 hourly 1 By: Jim Greenwood http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/#comment-521 Jim Greenwood Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:49:42 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=1974#comment-521 The Coalition for Patent Fairness made a recent addition to the patent blogosphere with their new venture—Building a Better Mousetrap. The Coalition members, which include international tech companies such as Microsoft, Google and Dell, argue that “We’d be able to do more, create more jobs, innovate and create more products if [we] weren’t saddled with unjustified patent infringement charges and costly litigation.” Unfortunately, this line of argument is just like a piece of cheese lying out in the open—luring people towards the promise of more jobs without realizing there is a trap! Job creation is critical during this economic crisis, and strengthening – not weakening – intellectual property is the way to do it. Says who? Many diverse American institutions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Arizona Small Business Association, the Association of American Universities, and the National MS Society have all joined together to propose reforms to the patent system that will strengthen American intellectual property, encourage and protect American invention and help create new jobs at home. These labor, university and patient groups are all working as one to ensure that the U.S. maintain its competitive advantage of ingenuity and creativity that will spur the economy in difficult times. “Building a Better Mousetrap” focuses on the big cheeses that run international tech corporations and the banks that back them, rather than creating a sustainable economy for everyday Americans. Loosening patent restrictions in the short term will not sustain American jobs in the long term and saying as much is misleading. Besides, everyone knows to catch a mouse you use peanut butter, not cheese. Jim Greenwood, BIO President and CEO The Coalition for Patent Fairness made a recent addition to the patent blogosphere with their new venture—Building a Better Mousetrap. The Coalition members, which include international tech companies such as Microsoft, Google and Dell, argue that “We’d be able to do more, create more jobs, innovate and create more products if [we] weren’t saddled with unjustified patent infringement charges and costly litigation.”

Unfortunately, this line of argument is just like a piece of cheese lying out in the open—luring people towards the promise of more jobs without realizing there is a trap!

Job creation is critical during this economic crisis, and strengthening – not weakening – intellectual property is the way to do it. Says who? Many diverse American institutions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Arizona Small Business Association, the Association of American Universities, and the National MS Society have all joined together to propose reforms to the patent system that will strengthen American intellectual property, encourage and protect American invention and help create new jobs at home. These labor, university and patient groups are all working as one to ensure that the U.S. maintain its competitive advantage of ingenuity and creativity that will spur the economy in difficult times.

“Building a Better Mousetrap” focuses on the big cheeses that run international tech corporations and the banks that back them, rather than creating a sustainable economy for everyday Americans. Loosening patent restrictions in the short term will not sustain American jobs in the long term and saying as much is misleading.

Besides, everyone knows to catch a mouse you use peanut butter, not cheese.

Jim Greenwood,
BIO President and CEO

]]> By: sample http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/#comment-420 sample Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:13:38 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=1974#comment-420 Quinn: your argument makes no sense. Quinn: your argument makes no sense.

]]> By: Gene Quinn http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/#comment-410 Gene Quinn Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:58:37 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=1974#comment-410 Abaccus- You are entitled to your opinion, of course. I do have a question for you though. How would you know what a free market is? It is impossible for you to know what a free market is because under your definition the US has never had a free market. Obviously, patents are not inconsistent with a free market. Without recognizing the innovations of individuals there would be no market at all, which could hardly be described as a free market. Abaccus-

You are entitled to your opinion, of course.

I do have a question for you though. How would you know what a free market is? It is impossible for you to know what a free market is because under your definition the US has never had a free market.

Obviously, patents are not inconsistent with a free market. Without recognizing the innovations of individuals there would be no market at all, which could hardly be described as a free market.

]]> By: abaccus http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/#comment-408 abaccus Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:31:56 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=1974#comment-408 Furthermore, the free market is strongly linked to the non-intervention of the state in the market. Which is not compatible with the patent system, which is a pure state intervention in the market because "it fails". Furthermore, the free market is strongly linked to the non-intervention of the state in the market. Which is not compatible with the patent system, which is a pure state intervention in the market because “it fails”.

]]> By: Gene Quinn http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/#comment-404 Gene Quinn Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:18:01 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=1974#comment-404 Abaccus- You really think that patents cannot exist in a free market? That would be one very free market and one without any innovation at all. There is just no way to have innovation without rights. No one would ever spend the time, money and energy required to innovate only to allow all free riders to swoop in and reap the benefits. Abaccus-

You really think that patents cannot exist in a free market? That would be one very free market and one without any innovation at all. There is just no way to have innovation without rights. No one would ever spend the time, money and energy required to innovate only to allow all free riders to swoop in and reap the benefits.

]]> By: abaccus http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2009/02/09/patent-reform-reportedly-top-priority-in-congress/id=1974/#comment-403 abaccus Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:01:26 +0000 http://www.ipwatchdog.com/?p=1974#comment-403 "I also found it impossible to believe that President Bush would abandon free-market principles to save the free market. We live in strange times no doubt." A real free market is a market without patents. The patent lobby managed to hijack the free market term by injecting patents in there, but the real free market is the one without patents. “I also found it impossible to believe that President Bush would abandon free-market principles to save the free market. We live in strange times no doubt.”

A real free market is a market without patents. The patent lobby managed to hijack the free market term by injecting patents in there, but the real free market is the one without patents.

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