Patent Law

RTIP'rs Visit Google

By J. Matthew Buchanan, Stephen M. Nipper, and Douglas Sorocco.

Well, I almost feel like Robert Scoble... but without a videocamera in hand, a gadzillion number of readers, or a red couch.

Matt and I had the opportunity yesterday to visit Google's NYC offices in lower Manhattan.  It was an amazing experience - not just because we were almost run down by scooters and got to witness fine sushi creations being crafted by a renown sushi chef - rather, we were able to engage in a very substantive conversation on the process of rethinking copyright issues and how intellectual property information and tools will be radically different in the coming years. 

Oh yeah, the game room was wicked cool as well.  But - the conversation still ruled.

Our host at Google was Bill Patry, Senior Copyright Counsel at Google and former Copyright Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives.  Matt did a mini-review of his new copyright treatise on Rethink(IP) a week ago and it was great to be able to sit down and chat with Bill about his thoughts on rethinking issues near and dear to our hearts - most notably upturning the way in which IP information, content and tools are delivered -- the premise and underpinnings of FedCirc.us. 

Matt will begin teasing y'all with some of our thoughts on the legal treatise soon.  In the meantime, suffice it to say that Google and Bill, in particular, will be visibly leading a revolution in how copyright law impacts our day to day lives.  As Bill said, and I am paraphrasing badly here, "... copyright cannot be staid and inflexible, it has to move and breathe and be accepting of new voices and radical forms of communication..." 

We couldn't agree more and believe that such notions should also be applied to other forms of intellectual property - especially the patent grant and the law interpreting and construing that little monopoly everyone loves. 

Bill's blog - The Patry Copyright Blog - is a companion of sorts to his new treatise and I would recommend that every IP thought leader subscribe immediately. When your West rep calls - seriously consider purchasing it for your library - you will not be disappointed.

While we were wowed by the colors, games and atmosphere at Google NYC -- it was the substance of the conversation and the enthusiasm for change that really got us wired up.

Thanks Bill for a great morning - and we look forward to engaging you in the debate.

Full post as published by Rethink(IP) on January 24, 2007 (boomark / email).