US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Software Patents and Information Infrastructure
--> [ FTC 2003 | FTC 2002 | Monopolkommission ]
News and Chronology
2004-07-11 Patent Lawyer Association responds to FTC report, rejects reform
2003: Report gets published: FFII UK summarizes the report http://ffii.org.uk/swpat/ftc/ftc.html
also the Hardware Industry ("Computer Hardware Industries, including Semiconductors" seems to be unhappy with patents their field, emphasize on competition as driver of innovation
- A possible conclusion could be: The two fastest developing industries, don't like the patent system, it's possibly not good everywhere
2003-05-10 Brussels Conference of FFII, Commissioner Mozelle Thompson is among the speakers
Outline
The FTC is an independent governmental agency of the United States of America, with 5 commissioners appointed for a term of .. years by ...
Charged with securing free competition and investigating anti-competitive behaviour.
Has recently held hearings and reported about problems with the patent system, especially in the area of software and business methods.
Industries
Computer Hardware Industries, including Semiconductors
from the Conclusion (Chapter 3, IV.G page 152):
Panelists in the hardware and semiconductor industries emphasized competition as a driver of innovation. Trade secret protection also contributes to innovation in these industries. Testimony regarding the role of patents was mixed. The record generally corresponded with the results obtained by Professors Cohen, Nelson, and Walsh in their business survey of appropriability mechanisms for firms in the United States: the semiconductor industry was among the least reliant on patents to appropriate returns on investment in R&D. [281] ...
The hearing record highlighted many of the issues that economists suggested might arise in contexts that involve cumulative innovation and a multiplicity of patents. Specifically, the participants from these industries confirmed a trend toward defensive patenting and stated that patents can deter innovation:
(1) by contributing to patent thickets, and
- (2) through their use by NPEs to hold up PPEs.
Panelists also observed that various patent licensing arrangements - cross-licensing, patent pools, and the licensing requirements of standard setting organizations - have helped to mitigate the potential harm to innovation caused by patent thickets.
