Senator Chris Coons: Shortchanging Our Inventors Is Slowing Our Economic Recovery

[LynneSin]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-coons/shortchanging-inventors-i_b_857990.html?ir=Yahoo

America is full of good ideas.

In fact, Americans have so many good ideas that they created a record backlog of patent applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, presenting both an opportunity and a serious problem for our economy.

Experts say that a single patent can create between three and 10 new jobs, but businesses whose growth depends on the granting of patents for their inventions are being forced to wait over two years before a patent examiner might even pick up their applications. They must wait another year for a final determination to be made.

<<<<snip>>>>

Tasked with ending the logjam, PTO Commissioner David Kappos unveiled an innovative idea: the "Track One" expedited patent examination pilot program.

Businesses with inventions critical to obtaining capital investment and creating jobs would be given the option to skip the line and get an up-or-down determination on their applications within one year. The privilege would cost an additional $4,000 per application -- enough to pay examiners' overtime and hire more staff.

The solution was simple and fair. Inventors with time-sensitive applications could obtain faster consideration without slowing down the processing of applications on the normal track. It would have expedited as many as 10,000 patent applications this year and brought in an additional $40 million in fees.

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And to think I could have had that witch as my senator. I just :loveya: Sen. Coons!

[msongs]

1. you have lots of cash? step to the front of the line. everyone else, sod off. nt

[EC]

2. Stop it,

this is reasonable. The additional amount is to put more workers on to research past patients etc. so one can be issued. No one is being left out, just accelerated.

[prairierose]

3. It seems to be an expedient solution to the problem of...

patent office being overwhelmed as a government agency that should be supported by taxpayer money since we all benefit from the service they provide. But after 30 years of neo-con economics and trying to destroy government, the office is so overwhelmed that it can not do its job. God forbid that we raise taxes or support vital government services that are not fucking defense related.

I really do not like this solution but if it allows the patent office to hire more employees, then as a temporary solution, it might work. However, what usually happens is that once a policy like this is in place, we can't seem to get rid of it.