The special issue of MI&B was brought to our attention by patent attorney Brenda Pomerance. She found particularly compelling the data in the article,  Patent Reforms Must Focus on the U.S. Patent Office, by Ron D. Katznelson, who discusses practices at the USPTO that have given rise to “significant dysfunction” in its examination operations.

“In view of the statistics brilliantly presented in the Katznelson paper,” states Pomerance, “it looks like the water in the pot began boiling around 2007, and the frog in the pot is now being cooked alive.

“Congress should relax the constraints causing the boiling so that patents can more effectively attract investment in innovation.”

Other articles in the special issue cover the economic impact of patent reform and alternatives to it. It would be good to hear if IP Insider readers found them useful or just more of the same.

Illustration: MI&B cover