[IP] USPTO will solicit application advice from Web

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>
Date: March 4, 2007 11:50:44 PM EST
To: dave@farber.net
Cc: lauren@vortex.com
Subject: USPTO will solicit application advice from Web


Dave,

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. Patent Office will
be starting a pilot project to put some patent applications
online for public comment via the Web:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/ 
AR2007030401263.html

This is one of the most hopeful developments in the patent arena in
many years -- or rather may be if it pans out.  The devil is in
the details of course, and the voluntary nature of the initial
project introduces obvious limitations.

But perhaps, just perhaps, it may forge a path toward limiting
the kind of nightmares I described back in 2002
( http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,55831-0.html ).

Keep your fingers crossed.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com or lauren@pfir.org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Founder, CIFIP
   - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com


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