For most people, a hobby is a way to indulge in an activity unrelated to their jobs. But Dennis Crouch is not one of these people. The visiting professor of patent law at Boston University likes to unwind by updating his blog, Patently-O. Since launching the site in 2004, Crouch has spent 10 to 12 hours per week writing about everything patent related.

“I make sure that everything that needs to be covered is covered,” says Crouch, who is also affiliated with McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff. “I was our firm's patent office liaison so I was already reading patent appeals that came out. I decided there's no point in keeping the information secret.”

Patently-O gets about 40,000 hits per week and is updated almost daily. The best quality of Patently-O is Crouch's thoroughness. He covers everything from blockbuster cases such as eBay v. MercExchange to seemingly inconsequential disputes. In addition, Crouch includes links to pertinent documents for each case and examples of the art for the patent in dispute.