Changes

The '''Leahy-Smith America Invents Act''' of 2011 (AIA) changed the [[patent]] system in favor of big corporations and against small inventors.  The AIA embraced the mistaken notion of patents as being "public rights" dependent entirely on the whim of government.  The law reduced the value of patents by creating new ways to challenge a patent that has already been issued.  The full text of this bad law is available online.<ref>https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/aia_implementation/20110916-pub-l112-29.pdf</ref>

The '''Leahy-Smith America Invents Act''' of 2011 (AIA) changed the [[patent]] system in favor of big corporations and against small inventors.  The AIA embraced the mistaken notion of patents as being "public rights" dependent entirely on the whim of government.  The law reduced the value of patents by creating new ways to challenge a patent that has already been issued.  The full text of this 59-page bad law is available online.<ref>https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/aia_implementation/20110916-pub-l112-29.pdf</ref>

The AIA changed the ownership of patent rights from "the first to invent," to the "first to file," effective as of March 16, 2013.  Big companies that invent nothing can obtain patents rights superior to the inventor by merely filing first with the Patent & Trademark Office.  The AIA rewards filing for patents with priority over being the first to invent.

The AIA changed the ownership of patent rights from "the first to invent," to the "first to file," effective as of March 16, 2013.  Big companies that invent nothing can obtain patents rights superior to the inventor by merely filing first with the Patent & Trademark Office.  The AIA rewards filing for patents with priority over being the first to invent.

The stated purpose of the AIA was supposedly to help corporations avoid litigation when threatened by patent holders on claims of doubtful validity, such as so-called "business methods" patents.  Specifically, the law states that the goal of the AIA is to establish a “more efficient system for challenging patents that should not have issued.”  H.R. Rep No. 112-98, at 39-40.

The stated purpose of the AIA was supposedly to help corporations avoid litigation when threatened by patent holders on claims of doubtful validity, such as so-called "business methods" patents.  Specifically, the law states that the goal of the AIA is to establish a “more efficient system for challenging patents that should not have issued.”  H.R. Rep No. 112-98, at 39-40.

The real underlying motivation, however, was to tilt the playing field in favor of big corporations and against small inventors who are responsible for most of the innovation.

The real underlying motivation, however, was to tilt the playing field in favor of big corporations and against small inventors who are responsible for most of the innovation.9

== Micro Entity Status ==

== Micro Entity Status ==