The UK government has launched a new website that provides a forum for patent review by science and technology experts. Called the Peer to Patent website, it is the brainchild of the minister for intellectual property, Baroness Wilcox.
The new site will run as a six month pilot, and will showcase up to 200 patent applications in the computing field. Registered users will be allowed to leave comments on the applications, and these will eventually be sent to examiners in the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and be considered a part of the patent review process. The website went live on 1 June 2011, and it models itself on other successful Peer to Patent websites from the United States and Australia.
Baroness Wilcox believes that the applications granted through the website review process would potentially be stronger, and thus the tool would give businesses better protection to grow innovative ideas. It will also give the IPO access to a wider body of knowledge in determining whether a patent should be granted.
The new patent application tool will enable the technology community to view and comment on patent applications on inventions ranging from computer mice to complex processor operations. The pilot will give experts the opportunity to comment on patent applications and share their expertise before the patents are granted, which means that inventions already known in the wider community will be filtered out more readily as well.
The first group of applications has already been uploaded to the Peer to Patent website. The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys said that they welcome the pilot as a way of exploring how third-party opinions can improve the quality of products. The pilot website takes advantage of the growing popularity of review websites and social networking on the internet worldwide. It is hoped that that users, observers and applicants will all engage each other positively and constructively to help build a stronger UK patent system.

An exclusive licensing agreement has been executed between the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and a start-up company, Pyrochem Catalyst Corporation. The agreement is for two NETL-developed technologies related to a proprietary fuel-reforming catalyst. This agreement is groundbreaking because it is the first instance in which a NETL-licensed technology has been used for the creation of a start-up.

Pyrochem Catalyst was established with financial support from a Pittsburgh-based funding group, Innovation Works, and will conduct its research and development activities in south-western Pennsylvania. The successful commercialization of the new technology should lead to the creation of high tech jobs in the area.

Innovation Works, a five year, $10 million state-funded initiative, helped in the effort by providing funding for the start-up. The goal of the program is to encourage the development of companies in the energy sector based on university level research. The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Virginia Tech, West Virginia University and Pennsylvania State University are part of a consortium of universities in the state that are partnering on research with NETL.

NETL research has concentrated on transforming heavy hydrocarbons like diesel and coal-based fuels into hydrogen-rich synthesis gas. This process is an important step for producing fuel cells and other clean energy applications. The initial work at Pyrochem Catalyst is expected to focus on further developing NETL’s pyrochlore catalyst for use in fuel cell auxiliary power systems to power vehicles.

Under federal regulations, NETL is authorized to obtain, maintain and own patent protection for its inventions, including those funded through collaborative agreements. By entering into a commercial licensing agreement with Pyrochem Catalyst for its technologies, NETL can now convey and control the right to make, use and sell the products and services that are claimed in the patent and thereby assure strategic commercialization throughout an industry.

Tellabs, a developer of advanced telecommunications network technology, announced in June 2008 that it had filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Network Communications Inc in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The suit sought monetary damages and an injunction to stop Fujitsu from future infringement of Tellabs’ intellectual property. Tellabs asserted that Fujitsu infringed on their US Patent No. 7,369,772, which had been granted to the company under the title: ‘Optical line terminal arrangement, apparatus and methods’.
The lawsuit specifically related to several Fujitsu products, including reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM) systems and components that Fujitsu markets within its FLASHWAVE product line. An executive with Tellabs said that the company invests hundreds of millions of dollars each year in research and development to create innovative products, and has earned hundreds of valuable patents which must be protected from poaching.
The patent lawsuit that Tellabs Inc filed against Japan’s Fujitsu Ltd was in fact a countersuit, since Fujitsu had fired a similar suit against Tellabs in January 2008 in a Texas court. Both firms are seeking monetary damages and injunctions in the patent squabble over high-speed networks using fiber-optic cables. On the one hand, Fujitsu claimed that Tellabs infringed on four of its patents covering optical communication technologies. On the other hand, Tellabs claims that Fujitsu is using technology in the Tellabs 7100 series, which was a hot product that saw sales grow rapidly in 2008.
However, the patent lawsuit has not benefited Tellabs and growth slowed down for the company in 2010. This demonstrates that not all patent infringement lawsuits are in the best interests of a company, as it can lead to excessive costs, wasted time and even bad press. Tellabs’ latest earnings report was a shock to investors as the company unexpectedly reported a loss, raising fears that they are losing market share to rivals like Cisco. The news sent Tellabs shares down 19% on the day.

The U.S. Senate has passed it’s version of S.23, the “America Invents Act” in March and the House is expected to present its rendition, H.R. 1249, to the floor in June.
The new reform measures are expected to help individual inventors become more competitive and level the playing field with large corporations.  The changes are considered by many in the intellectual property field to be essential for economic recovery.
Major reformation of the U.S. Patent and Trademark system has been a topic of interest for inventors for almost 10 years now (and 5 Congressional cycles).  The current timeline and costs of obtaining a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office hinders many inventors from pursuing their invention ideas, even with the discounts in place for small entities.
The new bill will give the Office direct control and access to it’s finances, allowing it to adjust pricing as it sees fit and give inventors and small businesses the leverage they need to remain competitive.  It will also give the Patent Office means to mandate decisions on issuance disputes, streamlining the patent appeal processes and providing patentees with a more efficient and enhanced organization.