The Great Patient Race :: essays research papers

When Gordon Gould was a graduate student at Columbia University in 1957, he sketched out the concept of a concentrated beam of light amplified in a gas-filled bedroom and coined the term "laser" to describe it.But Gould waited to assay a patent on his discovery, believing incorrectly that a working prototype was necessary. Eventually, two other researchers were awarded the basic patents instead.After a decades-long legal tussle, Gould lastly reveled in victory when a federal court ruled that the patent application it had approved did not anticipate the common uses of lasers. The U.S. Patent and Trademark self-confidence then granted Gould lucrative rights to the invention, in part because as a graduate student he had his original research notebooks date-stamped and notarized.The legal standard that was employ awards patents to the person who invented a concept first, and it has long been a unique feature of the U.S. patent system. This year, however, Congress is astir( predicate) to consider a controversial proposal from Rep. Lamar metalworker, a Texas Republican, that would grant a patent to the first person to submit the paperwork--a standard thats common outside the join States.The legislation suddenly has become a cheapjack point about everything thats right with the U.S. patent system--and everything thats wrong with it. Technology companies fighting expensive patent cases ar hoping the bill allow reduce litigation, while open-source advocates say it will do nothing to hinder the rising tide of software patents being show upd. numerous people feel that the measure will stag only modest improvements, if any, to the quality of patents being awarded.Smiths bill, called the Patent Reform Act of 2005, also has drawn the impatience of independent inventors, who amaze said it will unfairly hurt anyone without a battalion of patent lawyers who can race to the Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va. The rule probably would have kept G ould from being awarded the laser patents he eventually got."We really feel that theres a litigation lottery. People roll the surpass and hope that their number comes up big."--David Kaeferdirector of intellectual-property licensing, MicrosoftSmith declined, through a representative, to comment on the bill before a hearing set for Thursday.The issue has taken on additional urgency because of Smiths determined plan to navigate his bill quickly through the House by years end. Next weeks hearing will take place shortly after politicians have returned from their summer break. Meanwhile, a similar measure is being readied in the Senate by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch.The Great Patient Race essays research papers When Gordon Gould was a graduate student at Columbia University in 1957, he sketched out the concept of a concentrated beam of light amplified in a gas-filled chamber and coined the term "laser" to describe it.But Gould waited to seek a patent on his discovery , believing incorrectly that a working prototype was necessary. Eventually, two other researchers were awarded the basic patents instead.After a decades-long legal tussle, Gould finally reveled in victory when a federal court ruled that the patent application it had approved did not anticipate the common uses of lasers. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office then granted Gould lucrative rights to the invention, in part because as a graduate student he had his original research notebooks date-stamped and notarized.The legal standard that was applied awards patents to the person who invented a concept first, and it has long been a unique feature of the U.S. patent system. This year, however, Congress is about to consider a controversial proposal from Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, that would grant a patent to the first person to submit the paperwork--a standard thats common outside the United States.The legislation suddenly has become a flash point about everything thats right wi th the U.S. patent system--and everything thats wrong with it. Technology companies fighting expensive patent cases are hoping the bill will reduce litigation, while open-source advocates say it will do nothing to hinder the rising tide of software patents being issued. Many people feel that the measure will make only modest improvements, if any, to the quality of patents being awarded.Smiths bill, called the Patent Reform Act of 2005, also has drawn the ire of independent inventors, who have said it will unfairly hurt anyone without a battalion of patent lawyers who can race to the Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va. The rule probably would have kept Gould from being awarded the laser patents he eventually got."We really feel that theres a litigation lottery. People roll the die and hope that their number comes up big."--David Kaeferdirector of intellectual-property licensing, MicrosoftSmith declined, through a representative, to comment on the bill before a hear ing set for Thursday.The issue has taken on additional urgency because of Smiths ambitious plan to navigate his bill quickly through the House by years end. Next weeks hearing will take place shortly after politicians have returned from their summer break. Meanwhile, a similar measure is being readied in the Senate by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch.