A slashdot for prior art?

"The Patent and Trademark Office should make increased use of the Internet in seeking to document 'prior art,' particularly in the area of information technology, where the Internet provides new capabilities to reach the most knowledgeable commentators. A 'Slashdot for prior art' should be the goal," the report of the Committee for Economic Development [CED] said, referring to the online technology-discussing community.

The CED welcomed Congress's review of the patent system, which it said should consider whether a separate patent system is needed for different industries.

IPBiz will be returning to the idea of internet capabilities and knowledgeable commentators later.

[The Congress review link is to a discussion of HR 2795: Rep. Lamar Smith, who heads the House of Representatives committee responsible for drafting patent law, said his proposal would improve the overall quality of patents and target some of the legal practices that have irked high-tech companies.

"The bill will eliminate legal gamesmanship from the current system that rewards lawsuit abuses over creativity," said Smith, a Texas Republican. By April 2006, one should appreciate how HR 2795 turned out.]