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Coalition for Patent Fairness: do as I say, not as I do

By Lawrence B. Ebert, Esq.

In a post Patent Hypocrisy Patent Docs points out that some of the members of the Coalition for Patent Fairness [CFR] are on a "top 10" list of issued patents. This is not exactly a news flash. See also PatentHawk's Politically Correct.

Back in March, no less an authority than Jon Dudas, Director of the USPTO, took a not so subtle jab at the IT folks, by making a remark about IBM's toilet queue patent, without referencing IBM by name. Although IBM is not a member of CFR, the followup remarks of Dudas in Hollywood applied to strategies employed by members of CFR.

See Dudas, IBM's toilet queue patent, and patent quality

Patent reform and IBM's questionable patents

It isn't just that the IT folks are getting a lot of patents. The problem is that they are getting "low quality" patents. That's the hypocrisy.

Members of CFR include: Apple, Autodesk, Business Software Alliance, Chevron, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Dell, Electrolux, Google, Hewlett-Packard Company, Information Technology Industry Council, Intel, Micron Technology Inc., Microsoft, Oracle, Palm Inc., RIM, SAP, Seagate Technology, Symantec, TechNet, Time Warner and Visa. [Intel, Microsoft, and Micron were on the "top 10" in issued patents list of IPO for 2007]

As an additional matter, the CFR folks were complaining about continuing applications. Yet, they get a lot of continuing applications.

See for example

"Coalition for Patent Fairness"

Full post as published by IPBiz on May 24, 2008 (boomark / email).