
Patent reform hangs by a thread as Senate Democrats bottle up key bill - wfjackson
http://gigaom.com/2014/05/16/patent-reform-hangs-by-a-thread-as-senate-democrats-bottle-up-key-bill/
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001sky
_According to a tech industry source, Leahy has changed his position in part
as a result of pressure from the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, a
lobbying group whose law firm Akin Gump recently hired Leahy’s long time
chief-of-staff. The source added that Leahy is prepared to let the reform bill
founder, and then draw political cover by casting blame for the failure on
committee members’ inability to produce a suitable compromise. Meanwhile, the
bill’s momentum has also been sputtering as a result of the trial lawyer bar
pressuring other Senate Democrats to slow the bill_

Crux issues

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NoPiece
_Meanwhile, the bill’s momentum has also been sputtering as a result of the
trial lawyer bar pressuring other Senate Democrats to slow the bill._

This is probably as big or a bigger issue. Leahy may be taking one for the
team here.

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briantakita
The US government is broken. It's obvious that the game is rigged to be anti-
innovative. Government imposed rents discourage efficient movement of the
markets & innovation. There is evidence that patents hinder innovation.
There's no evidence that patents encourage innovation.

I might as well be yelling at the wind. The people in power want to remain in
power and will do whatever it takes to keep ossification of the status quo.

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saraid216
> I might as well be yelling at the wind.

That's pretty much what happens when you make vapid statements like "The US
government is broken" on an internet forum largely peopled by folks who have
absolutely no idea how the government works except as a proto-police state.

If you want to be heard, say something worth listening to.

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briantakita
> If you want to be heard, say something worth listening to.

I prefer to do. I can only do my part.

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marincounty
1\. In this incident, I'm not sure Sen. Leahy caved into Lobbiests? He
probally did, but not sure.

2\. I think the real reason is,"Our general view is to be good rather than to
be fast," said Dana Rao, Adobe's vice president of intellectual property and
litigation, told National Journal last month. It's especially important to get
legislation just right, he added, because "we're not going to get a third shot
at a patent bill in Congress," referring to the America Invents Act that
Congress passed in 2011, which overhauled some aspects of the patent system."

3\. No matter wat the outcome, I feel it will be challenged in the Supreme
Court?

4\. I hope this passes though.

5\. I would like to see one clause added to this bill, and yes, I know it's
too late, but the clause is; If you, or your company are below the federal
poverty line--fees for patents, and trademarks should be drastically reduced.
Right now they give micro-entities a break, but it's not enough. Poor
Americans should be able to file for patent protection. Lack of money
shouldn't be an reason. I don't think millions of poor people would flood the
patent office with patent applications either, but you might get a few poor
boys, who had an original idea, who filled out the papers correctly--get
protection for their idea.

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WildUtah
At the first hearing, Sen. Whitehouse [0] (D-RI) told reformers that we should
be careful. He congratulated us for getting a bill through the House in this
session where that house of Congress seems to determined to be uncooperative.
He warned us not to get stuck in the Senate when we've made it so far even if
we have to compromise; we can always try to get ground back in conference.

The strategy for trolls looks to be attacking loser-pays. Democrats want
vulnerable innocents to be protected by the legal system. Most federal civil
lawsuits that don't involve two giant businesses are by individuals against
powerful companies. Democrats don't want to reduce the chances to individuals.

But patent cases are mostly by giant powerful trolls and scam litigation shops
against small businesses. Trial lawyers who run Democratic policy don't think
that's important enough to allow the thin edge of the wedge to get started.

If the Senate changes hands in 2014, that might make it easier to get this
bill through. It will make it harder to get good Supreme Court justices,
though. Last time there was a business method patent case, four of five
wingnut Republican-nominated justices wanted to hamstring businesses with
software and business method patents with almost no limits while four
Democrat-appointed justices wanted to protect business methods from patenting
entirely.

[0] They say every senator sees himself as a future president; how much worse
must it be if your actual name is Whitehouse?

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twoodfin
Sorry, George H.W. Bush now counts as a "wingnut"? Or were you referring to
John Roberts as one?

HN is not /r/politics or the Daily Kos. Try to keep the rhetoric polite.

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sp332
"Wingnut-Repuliblican-nomitated" would refer to the president. "Wingnut
Repulican-nominated" refers to the justices.

