Intellectual Property Law

Tech Council Urges IP Legislation for Clean Technology

By Brian Wm. Higgin

     In its 2009 Policy Platform for Technology and Biotechnology published earlier this month, the Technology Council of Maryland (TCM) called for funding and targeted legislation for the state's technology and biotechnology industries, but also urged incentives, financing, tax credits and intellectual property legislation "that will spur the potential for making Maryland a leader in clean and green technology."  The TCM is Maryland's largest technology trade association (500+ members). 

     Does Maryland need incentives to encourage the development of clean and green technologies? If the number of clean energy patents issued to Marylanders is any indication, the answer is yes.  According to U.S. Patent Office data, there were only 11 patents issued in 2008 naming at least one Maryland resident as an inventor that disclosed "fuel cell" (down from 17 in 2007), 11 patents to Maryland inventors that disclosed "hybrid", "electric," and "vehicle" in 2008 (up from 7 in 2007), and only one patent to Maryland inventors that disclosed "wind power" in 2008 (half as many as the 2 patents issued in 2007). Although that snapshot view is far from a scientific and robust analysis, it seems that Maryland trails other states in clean technology innovation (Michigan, for example, received a total of 29 clean energy patents in the 3Q 2008 alone, and New York received 21 in 3Q 2008, according to data published by the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index).

Full post as published by Maryland Intellectual Property Law Blog on January 21, 2009 (boomark / email).