On Wed, Sep 06, 2000 at 07:43:36PM -0700, Trent Piepho wrote: > > I'm not talking about the patent examiners who rubber stamp the patents, but > rather people like Q. Todd Dickinson, director of the PTO and an IP lawyer. > > It people like him who are responsible for the "patent everything, let the > courts sort it out" policy of the PTO. It's also people like him who benefit > most from this policy. The PTO doesn't have much choice. Current backlog results in a 2-4 year wait after filing date for a decision. A thorough examination would mean even longer waits, and that would make the entire patent process less useful. Also, most patents these days are filed for the sole purpose of protection against litigation as opposed to starting one. Such patents are practically unenforceable...and therefore worthless. -- Dave Ahn | ahn at vec.wfubmc.edu | Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Try to live your life so that when you die, you will rejoice and the world will cry. -1/2 jj^2