Our project with the Electronic Frontier Foundation to make use of the preissuance submission process to limit the issuance of bad patents has met with widespread support from the 3D printing community and those who know how overly broad patents stifle innovation. After all, it’s hard to object to giving patent examiners relevant information as they decide whether or not to issue a patent that could change the shape of an industry!
As we expand our efforts to include mesh networking technologies, we hope that others will be inspired to make use of the preissuance submission process to improve patent quality in the technology areas they know best. You don’t need to be a lawyer, and you don’t need to pay any fee if you submit three or fewer references. In a future post, Cyberlaw Clinic attorney Kit Walsh will describe the lessons learned in the course of this effort, to help non-lawyers successfully navigate the preissuance submission process. Stay tuned!