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Re:Patents are about sharing information – don't shroud them... by pbhjpbhj on Saturday October 26, 2019 @06:08PM (#21366554)
Patents are only valid if they relate to new and inventive stuff.

USA came in to line with the rest of the World which uses first-to-file (first to invent means the litigious will always challenge inventorship which is exceedingly difficult to determine as there isn't necessarily a paper-trail).

USA patent seem, to me, to be worse than other places, and first to file works elsewhere suggesting that is not the problem.

Personally I feel the costs system, and low presumption of validity at grant seem more to blame.

Re:Patents are about sharing information – don't shroud them... by anticensor on Saturday October 26, 2019 @06:31PM (#21366667)
First to file vs first to invent only matters if if there are two near-simultaneous independent patent applications on same subject by different parties.

Patents are not like registered marks where you can apply for the same thing over and over; only the original inventor or its employer can apply, otherwise lour patent would be invalidated due to prior art.