Keeping an Eye on Technology Futures, No Hidden Agendas, New Attitudes, No Platitudes!
The US Supreme Court has just made it more difficult to obtain a patent. This is a boon to technology firms that are accused of patent infringement with claims that are "too obvious".
In a decision with far-reaching implications, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned a lower court's decision, ruling that that there needs to be a fairly high standard for patentability.
The decisions by the court indicate a growing trend in favor of companies that are targeted for infringing on patents that most people consider obvious. If just any common-sense invention is able to receive a patent, "patents might stifle, rather than promote, the progress of useful arts."
With this Supreme Court ruling, the US Patent Office will now be applying the higher standard toward patents. Any earlier patents that were granted with the low previous standard will stand. But, if challenged, they are subject to the new standard.
An interesting series of patent infringement lawsuits had been impacting the industrial automation business over the past several years. Solaia Technology, a company solely in the business of enforcing patents, partnered with Schneider Automation to pursue patent infringements. Hey, I wonder what happened to Solaia. If you know, tell me.
