Patent goon squad
From OpenWetWare
The general idea would be for scientists (who might be so inclined) to actively keep an eye on new patent applications in their fields of interest in order to push back on overly-broad patents. I think there would be an interest in this sort of thing for synthetic biology at a minimum, but the feasibility is an open question :)
Contentious Patent Applications
It might be an idea to post important patents and allow people to add prior art that they might know about.
Genetic circuit inverting amplifier
Prior Art (pre June 5,2003)
Weiss & Knight 1999 - see fig 1, a biological inverter based on gene expression.
Open Questions
Please add/edit -- or answer!
- How hard is it to filter patents via existing search tools (e.g. into sub-fields)?
- What is the number of 'biology' patent applications submitted each day?
- Can you get access to the applications early enough in the process to effect the outcome?
- Others?
Background
- The US patent office sounds like it might be interested in this sort of community input (Washington Post).
- EFF Patent Busting Project - interesting parallel in the internet patent arena. EFF is digging up prior art on existing patents and then pursuing legal action for re-examination.
Participants
- Hanna Breetz, Technology and Policy Program at MIT
- Jason Kelly, BE at MIT
