WASHINGTON AP – Initial testing for an online peer review of up to 250 patent applications is set for next week even as the program’s director deflects fears that participants could be liable later for willful patent infringement.
IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp. and other technology innovators have funded and agreed to public review of some software patent applications filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Yet some engineers, attorneys and others worry whether comments on a rival’s application could make them vulnerable later to willful or deliberate infringement charges.
