Re: The patent process

[John Hasler]

Ben Pfaff writes:
> How can they expect the impossible from you?  There are millions of
> patents out there.  You cannot be expected to determine whether your work
> infringes on all of them.

In theory, you, as a skilled practitioner of the art, are supposed to be
able to know when something you have developed qualifies as potentially
new, useful, and unobvious and be able to do a search for applicable
patents (or have your company's patent department do it for you).  This
breaks down when the PTO issues patents at random.

The PTO also assumes, of course, that you read their Gazette every day.
-- 
John Hasler
john@dhh.gt.org (John Hasler)
Dancing Horse Hill
Elmwood, WI