Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Patent Law Blogs -> IPBiz

Patent Law

: IPBiz

Gas prices on the minds of voters

By Lawrence B. Ebert, Esq.

LBE got a phone call on 16 July which placed him on a sort of "conference call" with Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen and a bunch of constituents.

Needless to say "gas prices" and energy were prime topics, although one Patricia from Raritan lamented the (public) closing of Duke Gardens.

One fellow complained about all the technology bought up and suppressed by oil companies, in a plot line right out of "The Formula" with George Scott. As an observation, when a patent application is filed these days, it is generally going to be published, and thus made public. One is free to study all the technology, for example, of BlackLight. Going back to the old days of "butyl rubber," Standard Oil didn't conceal the technology, which, as we learned later, wasn't that good anyway as to synthetic rubber tires. But it was a photo op for Harry Truman.

Contrary to what most IT guys seem to think, the major point about patents (and now patent applications) is the public disclosure aspect. Patents aren't secrets which can be suppressed.

Incidentally, Rodney Frelinghuysen (unlike Chris Smith) voted AGAINST H.R. 1908, suggesting he's seen through the scams being perpetrated in "patent reform."

Full post as published by IPBiz on July 16, 2008 (boomark / email).