Lehman on patent reform and slack-jawed lawyers

Bruce Lehman, who as Commissioner of Patents & Trademarks (aka Director) opposed the creation of a publicly-available patent database, weighed in on patent reform in commenting on the case Centocor v. Abbott:

So, in the Centocor case, some 18 years of scientific discovery and complex damage calculations came before the court in fewer than four days of testimony. It is little wonder then that, after just five hours of deliberation, the jury rendered a verdict that, according to one news report, left patent lawyers "slack-jawed" across the country: $1.168 billion in lost profits and $504 million in royalties. This, even though it was clear Centocor had no ability to produce and sell its own fully human product until just this year.

See also:


ACS on wrong side of PubChem dispute