THE patent question isn't exactly partisan or even political. Not in the sense that patents are a "left" wing 'thing' or a "right" wing 'thing' anyway; it's a vertical thing (top-down, class, economic).

"Trump too goes along with a man who was born in the Soviet Union. Will he be in charge of the USPTO?"The USPTO isn't political either. But its leadership might be, especially because nominations are made by political figures. As we noted here before [1, 2, 3], a Putin-connected official (as per Panama Papers) put forth a potential Director for the USPTO. Trump too goes along with a man who was born in the Soviet Union. Will he be in charge of the USPTO? The trouble isn't his ethnic background (we won't entertain the McCarthyist angle) but his professional background. He's from the patent microcosm. He won't even deny it. A few days ago we learned that "[t]he [US] Senate Judiciary Committee has approved President Trump’s nomination of Andrei Iancu as USPTO Director and Under Secretary of Commerce (unanimous consent). The nomination now moves to the Senate Floor where no roadblocks are expected other than the difficulty in having the Senate focus on any particular item."

"The very fact that sites of the patent microcosm -- including front groups of patent trolls -- are satisfied with Iancu is a warning sign."Well, shouldn't the United States Patent Office (USPTO) put in charge men and women of science, preferably US-born too? What do they expect him to do if not prop up his former employer/s? Iancu is certainly not neutral. Many conflicts of interest come to mind.

We worry that a lot of patent progress can be undone. Some groups are too 'diplomatic' to openly express scepticism, but they too know that Iancu presents a threat. The very fact that sites of the patent microcosm -- including front groups of patent trolls -- are satisfied with Iancu is a warning sign. Even patent radicals have already backed him. ⬆