“Patent Progress” Project is Launched

Today CCIA is launching another new project: Patent Progress.  As the new site’s About page explains:

Patent Progress provides useful information and timely analysis for navigating the high-tech patent landscape.  We address the patent wars, trolls and privateers that have engulfed the technology sector in an unprecedented storm of multi-jurisdictional, worldwide patent litigation, along with the conflicting incentives and systemic failure at the heart of the challenge.  Patent Progress identifies the misalignments and asymmetries and how the system can be reformed to promote innovation instead of conflict and litigation.

Above even that introduction paragraph, the About page quotes Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the Constitution, which states that patents are to be granted to promote progress and innovation, not stifle it through costly litigation.

In the past DisCo has written about problems with the patent system impeding innovation.  [See e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…]  Much of our patent-oriented writing will now be over on the Patent Progress blog.  In addition to news and views on the patent system and its flaws, Patent Progress also includes other resources such as a dictionary for key patent terms, and the Document Center—a library of documents related to pending patent litigation.

Patent Progress looks forward to helping point out problems with the patent system, and ultimately to helping fix it.  Many have called for reform recently, including in Wired Opinion’s excellent new ‘The Patent Fix’ series.  To paraphrase both CEOs in the recent Apple-HTC settlement, let’s bring the focus back to innovation from litigation:

Peter Chou, CEO of HTC:  “HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation.”

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple:  “We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC.  We will continue to stay laser focused on product innovation.”