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Video: Intel, Startups Debate Patent Reform Efforts

By Peter Zura

Recently, Intel Corp.'s chief patent counsel David Simon and entrepreneur Steve Perlman faced off in a debate on patent reform yesterday, where their views showed a wide gap between the opinions of big corporations and startups over pending patent legislation, and especially apportionment of damages and first-to-file.

It's an interesting presentation - Simon makes a number of points regarding the practical effect of patent litigation on the business models and budgets of high tech companies. Perlman, who was more animated than Simon, began to pick apart, in detail, some of the contentions of the CPF, and others in the pro-reform movement. At one point, it even sounds like he calls one of the authors that contributed to matters cited in the Congressional Report a "f***ing liar" (this is not crystal clear, but you can judge for yourself at about the 7:35 point of the video)

View the 20-minute video here (link)

Also see part 2 of the video (16 min.), where Ronald Yin from DLA Piper addressed a more middle-of-the-road position, stating that "The system needs to be fixed, but I don't think it's in as dire straits." (link)

See, EETimes, "Intel, startup face off in patent debate" (link)

EDN, "Patents: fixable, or the next weapons of financial destruction?", discussing the debate and noting that the burgeoning "patent derivative market" could "further increase the risk of innovation for real technology companies" (link)

See also, Tech Daily Dose, "Lofgren 'Very Nervous' About IP Pact" (link). From the article:

Silicon Valley executives told [Lofgren] in recent meetings that a compromise bill, which last month passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, could be worse than no bill at all due to what they believe is watered down damages language. "Last year we had a strong bill," Lofgren said of the version that passed the House. The Senate measure stalled last spring after Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and then-ranking member Arlen Specter could not see eye to eye on damages text. "Now we have a bill that opponents of patent reform are rallying around," she said of Leahy's legislation as amended.

Full post as published by Two-Seventy-One Patent Blog on May 07, 2009 (boomark / email).