CNN reports that patent filings for 2009 are down 2.3% compared to 2008 (485,500 vs. 496,886), citing the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office as the source of its data.
It quotes USPTO director David Kappos as saying the nation’s innovative spirit is stronger now than ever before; however, in speaking with a number of others who work in patents, it highlights three factors leading the decline in applications:
- Recession, which has led many individuals and companies to delay innovation investments
- High costs to file and maintain a patent, including the costs to defend a patent in court if necessary
- An antiquated U.S. patent process—which the USPTO, its parent Department of Commerce, and the Congress are working to reform—that has led to years-long backlogs in patent reviews.
What do you think? For those of you who have refrained from filing to protect an idea, what’s holding you back? And what could help you move forward?
Click here for CNN's full coverage.
Oh, and yes, the patent image above is from Apple's iPhone application.
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