Software Patent Bits for July 7th:
- Start-up Entrepreneurs & CEO’s: If Your Goal is Investment or Acquisition, You are Probably Patenting the Wrong Things [IP Asset Maximizer Blog] –
“The great majority of patent seekers (including those at otherwise sophisticated large companies) believe that patents are best used to keep others off their ‘technology lawns’.” However, Jackie Hunter asserts that companies should engage in offensive patenting by “putting a patent fence around the big [competitor] company’s technology lawn. . . [This] will reduce or prevent the bigger player’s free movement in its desired business space.” See Jackie’s article for more details on “offensive patenting” strategies. - Patent Map [FreePatentsOnline] –
“FreePatentsOnline has launched a patent map . . . The Google Map mashup is located at www.localpatents.com, where today 3,143,630 patents and patent applications are shown in their respective locales, based on inventor and assignee cities. An assignee is the entity that holds the rights to the patent. “A big reason we now show patents on a map is for job searching,” said Erik Reeves, CEO of Patents Online, the company behind FreePatentsOnline. “You may imagine that where you live, or where you’re moving, is a place with limited innovation. But with a few clicks in a given geographic area you may discover one or more companies inventing new products or services of great relevancy to your job interests. And, to interview armed with knowledge about a company’s intellectual property makes you a much better prepared candidate.” - Bilski, Software Patents and Business Method Patents [State of Innovation] –
“Will the Supreme Court use the In re Bilski 545 F.3d 943, 88 U.S.P.Q.2d 1385 (Fed. Cir. 2008) case to deny patent protection to information age technology? Many observes believe that this case will have major implications for software and business method patents.”