Open-Source Lab Joins IBM, USPTO to Improve Software Patents
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has joined IBM, Open Source Development Labs and the open-source community to improve the examination of software patents. Among its proposals is a searchable database with an index of open-source code. The USPTO's decision to work with the software and open-source communities could be an acknowledgment of a need for improved prior art searching in connection with software patent applications.
By Seth H. Ostrow and Arianna Frankl | July 20, 2006 at 12:00 AM
In its ongoing efforts to improve the examination of software patents and resolve continued concerns over their quality, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has partnered with IBM, Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) and the open-source community to try and achieve this goal. Among the proposals is the idea of establishing a searchable database containing an index of open-source computer code. This database should make it easier for software code developers and patent examiners to locate relevant prior art.