Choose: patent quality or continuations?

Cecil Quillen argues that the patent bar can't have it both ways: unless the Patent Office restricts continuing applications, patent quality will inevitably suffer.

Have the courts already fixed the US Patent system?

Brad Smith, General Counsel of Microsoft, recently suggested that history might be repeating: during the late 19th century, growing concern about patent "sharks" lead to calls for patent reform. But the courts, not the legislature, made changes to patent law. Brad stated that the Supreme Court today has already made most of the changes that Microsoft was seeking in legislation. Jim Bessen argues that if history is really repeating, then we should see a decline in litigation. That is not happening, at least not so far (see below).

Eric Maskin wins Nobel Prize

One of the winners of this year's Nobel Prize in economics has done some important work on patents and innovation.

Patents more often in lawsuits

Not only is the absolute number of lawsuits increasing, but the probability that a patent will be in a lawsuit continues to rise.