The Patent Problem

Patents have been a vital part of America’s innovation success story for more than 200 years. 

The right to grant patents and other intellectual property rights is written into the United States Constitution. Patents serve to promote innovation and protect inventions for a wide range of individuals, businesses, and universities. 

Unfortunately, many issued patents are unreliable or, to be candid, invalid, because they were granted without sufficient awareness of what is novel and non-obvious, key tests for patentability. 

The problem has been compounded by the huge increase in innovative ideas generated globally. Another factor is the lack of experienced examiners to review patents in new and complex subject areas, such as business methods, software, human genes and computer-based financial products.