We are now in the tail end of the season where millions of America brave wintry weather, TSA pat downs, and slow airplane wifi to spend quality time with loved ones. If gingerbread cookies and holiday shopping get old, you simply need a short break from a Top Gear marathon, or you are sick in bed with a mall-induced flu, we’ve put together a little holiday patent reform round up. This post will focus on three recent developments aimed at reforming our patent system: (1) the USPTO’s efforts ad crowd-sourcing the search for prior art, (2) heavyweight technology industry players’ newfound interest in lobbying Congress to take action on software patent reform, and (3) a recent conference at a Silicon Valley law school seeking solutions to problems surrounding software patents.
After much hand wringing regarding the state of the patent system in America, the cogs of political, academic, and legal reform are slowly turning. Just last year, Congress passed the America Invents Act (“AIA”), the first major patent reform legislation in decades. Despite certain landmark changes, such as moving from a first to invent to a first to file system for patent grants, some wonder whether the AIA alone will have a substantial effect on the recent proliferation of patent troll lawsuits.