Bob Stoll Quoted in Politico Pro

Washington, D.C., partner Bob Stoll was quoted in Politico Pro in an article on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s new “partnership” with the software industry. The initiative is designed to enhance the quality of software-related patents, beginning with a roundtable discussion at Stanford University.

Nearly every company and entrepreneur in the tech ecosystem is involved in the software patent debate and all have distinct viewpoints depending on their business models. Critics say the rise of patent litigation is a sign the system isn’t working and that the Patent and Trademark Office is giving out too many patents of questionable quality.

One purpose of the partnership is to see if the tech industry will use some of the new provisions in the America Invents Act that were created to improve patent quality, both during the examination process and afterwards for those who want to challenge patents granted.

“The PTO is not looking to say software shouldn’t be patentable,” commented Bob. “The PTO is engaging the public and asking, ‘Is there a problem with software and if there is, how can we improve?’ I think it’s a good idea to ask people who know software patents what they think,” he said.