The US Patent and Trademark office proposed rules to limit who can challenge patents. If these rules go forward, then they will make it harder to challenge patents by patent trolls, among others. One of the rule changes would exempt “small inventors” from challenge, which patent trolls will rebrand themselves as. Another rule would prevent large corporations, i.e. the ones with money to research patents and identify where prior art invalidates the patent, from challenging patents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These rules would simply aid patent trolls and harm the rest of us by hindering innovation. The comment period for these rules ends Tuesday, June 20th. Please submit a formal comment<\/a>. The more your comment draws from your personal experience with the patent system, the better. It doesn’t need to be long. Here is one you send or use as a template:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am opposed to the USPTO\u2019s proposed rules changes for inter partes review (IPR) and other patent challenges. The proposed rules would assist patent trolls in their effort to extract money from individuals and corporations who actually innovate. Exempting certain patent holders from challenge or preventing anyone interested from challenging patents will allow bad patents to flourish. These proposed rules must be withdrawn so that the IPR process remains open to all.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Submit a formal comment by June 20th<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can find out more at our previous Pirate News or at the EFF<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n