Psst! Patent Examiners Do Not Scale
Date : 02 29 2008 Category : Business
Techdirt
It's a refrain we've been repeating year after year: patent examiners don't scale. While some patent system supporters continue to insist the only problem with the patent system is not enough examiners, that's simply incorrect. Thanks to the way the patent system has changed over the years, combined with the ever-increasing rate of technological change and advancement, the number of patent applications are only going to increase at a rather rapid rate -- far exceeding any attempt to hire out of the backlog. The Government Accountability Office has basically said as much, admitting that even if the USPTO could hire 1,200 new examiners each year over the next five years, the patent backlog would continue to increase.
The answer is clearly not to focus on hiring more patent examiners. The way the system is currently designed, this is not a problem you solve by hiring more people. You only solve this problem by reducing the number of patent applications. And, the only way to do that is to completely revamp the patent system itself. Don't think the current attempt at patent reform is the answer, either. While there are some good things in there, the proposal to switch from a "first to invent" system to a "first to file" system will make this problem worse. By using a "first to file" system, the incentive is to file as quickly as possible for any idea possible, to make sure you beat anyone else. A first to invent system at least gives the person some leeway to make sure that it's worth filing.
In the meantime, let's repeat it once more: patent examiners don't scale. If you design the patent system to expand at a rapid rate (which, thanks to the USPTO, the courts and Congress, we have...), then it's only natural that it will scale well beyond the reach of a system that requires humans to analyze each and every patent. The end result is that a lot of bad applications get approved, which only increases the problem, since more people try to patent bad concepts, knowing that they have a decent chance of getting it through the system.
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The answer is clearly not to focus on hiring more patent examiners. The way the system is currently designed, this is not a problem you solve by hiring more people. You only solve this problem by reducing the number of patent applications. And, the only way to do that is to completely revamp the patent system itself. Don't think the current attempt at patent reform is the answer, either. While there are some good things in there, the proposal to switch from a "first to invent" system to a "first to file" system will make this problem worse. By using a "first to file" system, the incentive is to file as quickly as possible for any idea possible, to make sure you beat anyone else. A first to invent system at least gives the person some leeway to make sure that it's worth filing.
In the meantime, let's repeat it once more: patent examiners don't scale. If you design the patent system to expand at a rapid rate (which, thanks to the USPTO, the courts and Congress, we have...), then it's only natural that it will scale well beyond the reach of a system that requires humans to analyze each and every patent. The end result is that a lot of bad applications get approved, which only increases the problem, since more people try to patent bad concepts, knowing that they have a decent chance of getting it through the system.
Permalink | Comments | Email This Story