USA Today reports on patent reform - PTO funding issue spotlighted, between the lines anyways

Yesterday, USA Today ran an article on the patent reform movement and the recent congressional hearings on the subject.  Press coverage at this level is always nice, but I tend to read these articles very slowly and with squinted eyes…hanging on every word and half-expecting to see a mischaracterization that could alter public perception.

After reading this article, though, I opened both eyes widely and actually sighed relief.  Overall, its an accurate reflection of the current situation and, I think, provides a nice introduction for people not familiar with the issue.

I’m not sure if its intentional or not, but the PTO funding level issue is spotlighted between the lines.  The article never explicitly states that increased funding is necessary for reform, but the mention of fee-diversion practices (which, by the way, is arguably misleading) and the description of the Patent Office as “long-underfunded” leave the reader with the impression that more money is needed.

Good.