Those who are making money from human suffering (death, being sued into bankruptcy etc.) suffer a setback

THE USPTO, unlike the EPO (see our latest article), is improving patent quality, as part of a long-needed reform which harms nobody and helps everyone except patent radicals.

"Putting aside the courts, PTAB is invalidating patents at record levels (higher rates than courts)..."Litigation is declining (lawsuits over patents) and even sites of patent maximalists acknowledge this trend by stating (last night) that "district court filing lagging previous years" and "[f]irst-quarter patent infringement lawsuit filing in US courts was essentially the same as 2016’s first quarter [far below the prior year]." Putting aside the courts, PTAB is invalidating patents at record levels (higher rates than courts), rather than facilitating abusive litigation (instead undermining it or thwarting it before it can even happen at great cost/expense to the accused/defendant). It's working out pretty well as it not only invalidates a lot of patents but also reduces confidence in many patents like these (to the point where fewer people would bother risking a lot by initiating litigation at district courts).

"Lives will be saved as a result and millionaires who are shareholders will have to worry just a little about their already-fat earnings, which depend on people dying (or almost dying and going bankrupt to avoid death).""Generics Successful at Invalidating Novartis Gilenya Patent," said this headline from yesterday, courtesy of a PTAB foe. To quote: "At the conclusion of its Inter Partes Review (IPR) Trial, the Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) found all claims of Novartis U.S. Patent No. 8,324,283 invalid as obvious. The PTAB had allowed Novartis to include substitute claims as well, but found those also unpatentable as obvious. On appeal here, the Federal Circuit affirms." Lives will be saved as a result and millionaires who are shareholders will have to worry just a little about their already-fat earnings, which depend on people dying (or almost dying and going bankrupt to avoid death). Be aware and rest assured that the patent maximalists will fight back and try to reverse all the above, as it makes them obsolete.

"These events are business-oriented and steered by what Florian Müller called last week "patent extremists and fundamentalists," saying that they "continue to get their way." Unless we stand in their way..."Here, for example, we have new promotion by Annsley Merelle Ward from the Litigation Lobby/Team UPC. She pretends that the Fordham IP conference is something to be celebrated (by litigation zealots it is). It's acting as a think tank sponsored by patent bullies like Microsoft; yes, Microsoft is a speaker again ("Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond"). Remember that Fordham IP promoted software patents in Europe, it does UPC lobbying, and it gives a platform to software patents lobbyists such as David Kappos (sponsored by Microsoft, IBM and other patent bullies). It's no better than those UPC lobbyists' events, which are supported by the EPO's management and sponsored by its PR agency. These events are business-oriented and steered by what Florian Müller called last week "patent extremists and fundamentalists," saying that they "continue to get their way." Unless we stand in their way... █