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The Big Fix How Proposed Changes to the Patent Process Would Impact the Strategy and Value of Patent Portfolios

By Daniel J. Schwartz
August 31, 2004

In an effort to bring certainty to managing an intellectual property portfolio, Congress may soon consider overhauling certain aspects of the patent statutes that may bring only more uncertainty in the short term. Prompted by the perception that many questionable patents have issued recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) promulgated several proposals to change the patent system. Below is a synopsis of the FTC's efforts and resulting proposals, in addition to some thoughts regarding how those proposals may implicate intellectual property portfolios.

The FTC's Recommendations

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