Author(s)
Dan Burk, Iain M. Cockburn,
Wesley Cohen, Robert W. Hahn,
Mark Lemley, David C. Mowery and Arti K. Rai
Source
AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, 2005
Summary
This book considers the debate whether patents are good or bad for cutting- edge technology like software and biotech.
Policy Relevance
There is some consensus that patents pose problems for innovation, but little consensus on severity or solutions.
Main Points
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Stuart Graham and David Mowery argue that little evidence shows that software patents are good, and there is likewise little evidence that they are harmful.
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Dan Burk and Mark Lemley argue that the courts should refine case law so that software patents describe in detail the protected innovation and are narrower.
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Ian Cockburn explains that inconsistencies between patent rules for software and for biotechnology cause problems in patenting “bioinformatics,” a combination of the two fields.
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Arti Rae and Wesley Cohen explore whether methods used in open source software are also useful in biomedical research.