Microsoft's Take on the U.S. Patent System

Brad Smith, General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs for Microsoft, in his February 21st blog entitled “The Patent System: Fix What’s Broken, Don’t Break What’s Working” detailed specific patent reforms Microsoft supports.

The specific reforms include:

• Improved transparency of what is covered by patents and who owns those patents. In support of that end, Microsoft has pledged to publish on-line by April 1st on line the necessary information that would allow anyone to determine what patents Microsoft own. 
• Reforms to stop the abuse of Standards-Essential Patents. 
• Reforms which would see patent trolls pay if they lose a patent litigation. 
• Reforms which would see patent quality improve including providing more time for examination of an application. 

By Claire Palmer