IP: Patent Wars....

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> > Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2001 13:27:56 -0700
> > To: >>To: dgillmor@sjmercury .com
> > From: "John D. Trudel, CMC, CPCM" <jtrudel () teleport com>
> > Subject: Patent Wars....
> >
> > Dear Dan --
> >
> > It was good to see your column today, fittingly on Friday the 13th, about 
> > problems in the patent office (PTO). Still, the problems with the PTO go 
> > so much deeper than issues of fees. Don't blame Bush. He inherited this 
> > mess, which I expect will get much worse before it gets better.
> >
> > It may help understanding if you read the technology laws that Congress 
> > passed in the 1996-1999 period as exactly the converse of what their 
> > titles imply. For example, the "Inventor's Protection Act of 1999" (which 
> > just took full effect last November) served to regulate technology, 
> > destroy innovation by small firms, and allow the theft of U.S. technology 
> > to benefit incumbents and foreign interests. The telecom act of 1996, 
> > allegedly passed to ensure high speed digital access thorough the local 
> > phone monopolies, was a sham (see "telechasm" in the current, May, issue 
> > of Wired) that has choked off the Internet. It eventually destroyed 
> > billions in shareholder value and most of the DSL and bypass firms. The 
> > Digital Millennium Copyright Act is one of the most Draconian attempts to 
> > curb free speech and regulate technology in Western history, etc.
> >
> > That is why I for so many years -- yes, I am now retired from the patent 
> > wars -- tried to get Congress and the media to pay some attention to what 
> > was happening. So did many others, including a quorum of our Nobel 
> > laureates. Without success.
> >
> > We once had the recognized best-in-the-world patent system. It's gone. 
> > The current, totally rewritten, patent system does more to allow piracy 
> > and blockage of disruptive technology by special interests than it does 
> > to encourage innovation. It shifts wealth from innovation to litigation. 
> > The new law is so confusing, contradictory, and ambiguous that a steady 
> > stream of cases is already flowing to the Supreme Court. See 
> > http://www.trudelgroup.com/pwars.htm
> >
> > We've created a monster. Pouring more money into the PTO is NOT the 
> > answer. Let's fix the system before we throw more money at it. Right now 
> > this monster is already doing our economy more harm than good. Making it 
> > larger (as bureaucrats always suggest) will increase, not diminish, the harm.
> >
> > Peace,
> >
> > John D. Trudel
> >
> > **********************
> > John D. Trudel -- author, columnist, speaker, and business innovation guru.
> >
> > "We help technology and strategy come together to create value."
> >
> > Based in beautiful Oregon and in Cyberspace
> >
> > (503) 638-8644 <http://www.trudelgroup.com> <jtrudel () teleport com>



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