[Ecommerce] Patent quality 'worst in technology industry'

[Michelle Childs]

Patent quality 'worst in technology industry'


Ingrid Marson
ZDNet UK
September 21, 2005, 08:30 BST


Tell us your opinion

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39219594,00.htm#

Patent quality 'worst in technology industry'

Ingrid Marson
ZDNet UK
September 21, 2005, 08:30 BST

Survey: Some of the world's largest companies think the quality of patents
granted in the technology industry is worse than in many other industries

The quality of patents granted in the technology industry is worse than in
any other major sector, according to a survey of US patent holders.

The survey, which was published by the Intellectual Property Owners
Association last week, found that 10 percent of companies who hold patents
in the computer, electronics or software industry thought the quality of
patents being issued is poor, while 40 percent thought it was less than
satisfactory.

The overall perception of patent quality is lower than in the chemicals,
pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry, and the consumer products,
machinery and general manufacturing industry. In these industries, none of
the respondents thought the quality of patents being issued was poor,
although around half thought the quality of patents was less than
satisfactory.

Respondents from the technology industry also had a more negative view on
the change in patent quality over time.

Across all industries, 24 percent of respondents thought the quality of
patents was "somewhat worse" than three years ago and 29 percent thought
it would decline over the next three years. In the technology industry, 27
percent of respondents thought patent quality had decreased over this
period and 40 percent thought it would fall over the next three years.


Eighty companies were interviewed for the survey, the majority of which
had annual revenues of over $1bn (=A3600m).

The full survey can be viewed on the IPO Web site.




--
Michelle Childs -Head of European Affairs
Consumer Project on Technology in London
24, Highbury Crescent, London, N5 1RX,UK.
Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252.
Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax: +44(0)207 354 0607
http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel.:  1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727