Patent lawyers and software giants whom they are representing (also lawyers that become patent trolls) jeopardise emerging companies, almost all of which do not want software to be patentable

Google's head of patents believes the U.S. patent system is "in crisis". Discussing patent reform at the annual Stanford Summit in Northern California, associate general counsel Michelle Lee told conference attendees that the American system is "out-of-balance [and] needs to be remedied".

While it would appear that all parties concerned with innovation would benefit from and cheer on the Peer-to-Patent Project, that’s not the case. Linux World has an interesting note from a fellow who realized that a peer-review examination process that does not kill a patent makes it stronger.

"Are Microsoft’s patent lawyers playing possum? Or are they really as clueless about what makes open-source software tick as they seem?"

I would like everyone to watch tridge's talk [.ogv] [mp3] on patents and how engineers can interact efficiently with patent lawyers, to get your knowledge across to them. More formats are linked from End Software Patents, if you prefer audio only.

One of Microsoft's top attorneys on Wednesday called for an overhaul of the patent system to create a single, global patent office that will streamline and accelerate the approval process.

Criticism of the patent system is increasing and abolishment too is being considered for what became a hindrance - not a facilitator - to science

Last September, the House of Representatives approved the Patent Reform Act of 2007, legislation that would make important changes to America's patent system.

In 2004, Brandeis economist Adam Jaffe and Harvard Business School professor Josh Lerner published Innovation and its Discontents: How Our Broken Patent System is Endangering Innovation and Progress, and What to Do About It - a rare book on patents and written for generalists, not patent lawyers. "Broken" is strong language, but it gets attention.