1999-10-28|"License Status" in USPTO Patent Database
To whom it may concern
Ever since the USPTO put up the full-text patent database search on the Internet earlier this year, I have tremendously benefited from its utility, although I get mysterious error messages once in a while :-).
Error #2406 Error: Process terminated abnormally. Document may be truncated.
I am concerned about the invention submission companies. Whenever there are actions by courts and governments, sons and daughters of these companies show up, proliferating in less conspicuous way. Moreover, the popularity of the Internet makes it easy for anybody to claim to be in an invention promotion business by simply setting up a website to publish inventions with dubious benefits while charging independent inventors hundreds of dollars.
I am thinking that if the USPTO created just one single field in the patent database, e.g. "License Status" with possible entries being "already licensed", "not interested", "looking for licensee", etc., there would be much less raison d'être for such micro invention submission companies. Reputable invention marketing companies would simply hyperlink to the USPTO patent database.
Such an attribute would at least differentiate corporate patents having no intention of licensing (e.g., IBM) from the ones starving for licensing (most independent inventors). Although there may be logistical problems such as updates, I believe that the benefits would outweigh the difficulties.
Thank you very much for your attention.
P.S. You are welcome to post and distribute my proposal within the USPTO and/or the InventNet Forum, as you see fit.
