Patent seal
New legislation seeks to limit the damages for patent infringement

Inventors protest at US patent bill

Proposed reform would 'stifle innovation'

Iain Thomson

Protests have begun over a reform of the patent laws being considered by the US government.

Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and holder of 440 patents, was one of a group of inventors who have testified to the US Senate against the proposed law.

Advertisement

The legislation seeks to limit the damages for patent infringement, and allow patents to be challenged more easily after they have been issued.

The bill is being supported by Microsoft and Cisco, which claim that they are at the mercy of companies that own a patent on small portions of much larger applications and use this to reap substantial pay outs.

But Kamen warned that the legislation, if passed, would be disproportionately harmful to inventors.

"You do not shut down the national pastime of baseball because some players are using steroids," Kamen told the San José Mercury News.

"You can go after 'trolls' and other bad actors without unintended consequences that are harmful."

The bill has already passed the US House of Representatives and is being considered by the Senate.

The legislation has now provoked a number of small companies to band together as the Innovation Alliance to oppose its progress.

"We know that 40 per cent of patents are held by small business," said Innovation Alliance spokeswoman Susan Mora.

"We can only guess at the number of patents currently in the coffers of the largest corporations that started with discoveries made by individual inventors, small businesses and America's publicly funded universities.

"These are the drivers of innovation. To put this new cost on innovators so that patent infringers can reduce their supposedly soaring litigation costs is unconscionable."

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Tags:

Do you agree?

Further reading

Mega patent claim targets media firms

Fifteen firms join Apple in row over music list building system

NTP sues several US wireless firms

Latest patent battle seeks royalty payments for email infringements

UK and US patent offices to fast-track applications

Global patent highway also includes Japan

US to change multi-patent rules

One invention, one claim

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

iPhone

Video Review: iPhone 3GS

We put Apple's latest iPhone through its paces

Xperia X1

Video Review: Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

First Looks Editor Ian Williams gets hands on with the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

IT white papers

Search white papers

Top categories

Poll

Poll: Summer smartphones

Poll: Summer smartphones

Which smartphone will you be taking to the beach this summer?

View poll results

Advertisement

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Spotlight

iPhone

Video Review: iPhone 3GS

We put Apple's latest iPhone through its paces

old computer

Government honours veterans of Bletchley Park at last

Surviving veterans of the code-breaking facility to receive badge of...

Motorola MC55 Enterprise Digital Assistant

Review: Motorola MC55 Enterprise Digital Assistant

A rugged Windows Mobile device for mobile workers

BT

BT promises 1.5m fibre connections by summer 2010

Telco begins major rollout in 69 locations across the UK

Primary Navigation