Software firms lobby Congress to defend patent protection

February 25, 2013

Software firms are coaxing U.S. lawmakers to protect patent law because they encourage tech innovation and protect research, and not be put off by the current court battles over intellectual property. The U.S. patent system isn't perfect, but lawmakers and judges shouldn't solve current controversies by eliminating software patents altogether, executives with Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Covia Labs, and Procter & Gamble said during a briefing last week before congressional staffers in Washington, D.C. "As my grandmother used to say, you don't throw the baby out with the bath water," said Dorian Daley, senior vice president and general counsel at Oracle. Lawmakers should look at ways to improve patent quality, make it tougher for patent licensing firms to file infringement lawsuits, and require companies to be transparent about the patents they hold, Daley said during the briefing, sponsored by software trade group BSA and the National Association of Manufacturers. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2029026/software-firms-lobby-congress-to-defend-patent-protection.html