Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept and Patents It

Re:Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept a... by btrettel on Sunday June 26, 2022 @12:06PM (#31885175)

How to challenge a patent application that hasn't been granted yet based on prior art:

https://www.uspto.gov/patents/initiatives/third-party-preiss...

Note that I'm not aware of any way to challenge an application on non-prior-art grounds like 101, 112, etc. But I imagine emailing the examiner assigned to the application would work. Unfortunately examiners aren't assigned until a few weeks to a few months before examination, so a challenger will need to periodically check the status of the application before contacting the examiner.

You can look up the examiner's phone number here: https://portal.uspto.gov/EmployeeSearch/

Email addresses are typically [email protected].

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept a... by amelius on Sunday June 26, 2022 @12:10PM (#31885205)

This is something else. Here, not the patent itself is challenged, but the work of the patent officer is made easier because prior art is supplied.

What I propose is that anyone can submit solutions to the original problem stated in the patent, without yet knowing the solution proposed in the patent. This allows us to demonstrate that the solution is trivial to those who are skilled in the art.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept a... by btrettel on Sunday June 26, 2022 @12:16PM (#31885249)

Unfortunately the US doesn't work on that legal standard, though I think that's a nice approach.

In practice, almost no third parties submit prior art, which is a lot simpler than submitting solutions. So I doubt people will submit any significant amount of solutions.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept a... by amelius on Sunday June 26, 2022 @12:35PM (#31885406)

If there was a forum like HN where every post was a patent-problem, I would be happy to participate in the discussions about possible solutions, on a daily basis.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept a... by btrettel on Sunday June 26, 2022 @12:58PM (#31885628)

Until the legal standards change, look into submitting prior art. The examiner and public will appreciate it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Gov’t Contractor Copies Open Source 3D Printing Concept a... by nceqs3 on Sunday June 26, 2022 @03:11PM (#31886935)

This isn't copyright law where independent authorship/creation is a defense. The US is a first to file nation, which it shares with nearly every other major country in the world.

[ Parent | on HN ]