PATENT maximalism is a disease. It's a very deadly disease, as we reminded readers a couple of hours ago in relation to the European Patent Office (EPO). Some software patents in Europe are being granted awards and one of the award recipients is a person who came up with a patent that prevents other people recycling (in a particular fashion). How is this beneficial to society? Battistelli was in the jury, so don't expect sound rationale. António Campinos is the President, so it's basically a banker running things (at the USPTO it's law firms running the Office). Seeds, plants and even animals (including humans) are claimed to be 'owned' by few corporations -- often corporations that aren't even European! What is human kind doing to itself?

"Seeds, plants and even animals (including humans) are claimed to be ‘owned’ by few corporations — often corporations that aren’t even European! What is human kind doing to itself?"As someone told me a few months ago, it won't be long before lawyers claim that their clients or "inventors" 'own' air as well, claiming/insisting that the oxygen came from their trees, which are their "AYE PEE" (IP). Too many trees with too many owners to keep track of? Worry not, there will be a "patent pool" (for air). It can be a tax with different 'tiers' for those who cannot afford it.

35 U.S.C. €§ 101 in the United States improved things a great deal, but Europe is going down the slippery slope of a 'paper economy' -- an economy based on monopolies printed on a piece of paper rather than production (which these monopolies stifle). We certainly hope that patent examiners who read this site realise how self-harming patent maximalism really is. It's a house of cards (cardboard/paper). ⬆