IBM calls for patent reform and another example of the need for education on IP-speak

IBM jumped into the patent reform debate last week when Jim Stallings, VP of Intellectual Property and Standards, criticized the current examination system.  Stallings’ comments are generating some buzz despite the lack of a detailed reform plan (contrast to Microsoft’s foray into the issue).  Perhaps it has something to do with IBM being the biggest player in the US patent system.  Remember, Big Blue was granted more than 3000 US patents last year, more than any other organization. Not to mention the fabled $1B plus in licensing revenue. When Big Blue speaks on patent matters, people tend to listen.

This isn’t all that interesting to me, other than this little tidbit from Mr. Stallings:

“If you are a company and invent patents you should state your intent to use them and there should be a period of time in which you have to use them,” he said. “There are companies that are in the business [of] simply collecting and want to sleep on it.”

Mr. Stallings might benefit from the Sorocco school of IP-speak (listen to Sorocco’s rant on IP-speak in the first rethink(ip) aloud podcast, available here).

First of all, companies don’t invent anything. People do. Second, no one invents patents.  People invent inventions. Patents protect inventions. Companies own patents (and inventions).