Another example of how the media does NOT understand patent reform

from chron.com (Houston Chronicle);

Patent-law dispute: Retained, 87-13, the "first to invent" standard as U.S. law for giving priority to competing patent applications. This stripped a patent-reform bill (S 23) of language to switch to the "first-inventor-to-file" standard used by most other industrialized countries to determine patent winners and losers. A yes vote was to retain the first-to-invent standard.

Of course, the Chronicle got the story exactly backwards. A "yes" vote was to table the Feinstein amendment, which amendment would have RETAINED FIRST TO INVENT. A "no" vote would have allowed the "first to invent" amendment to proceed. S.23 currently is "first inventor to file," not first to invent. If the media doesn't understand what's going on, how can the public?

As to Texas voting, Cornyn and Hutchinson both voted "yes."

See previous IPBiz posts


Is March 3, 2011 the day for a vote on S.23? : The Feinstein amendment failed [Dianne Feinstein loses patent fight, failing 87-13 ]


Boxer, Feinstein side with small inventors in S.23 debate