Following up on Patrick Ross' Wikipedia series ( HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE), I'd like to point readers to a BusinessWeek (subscription) article cited by the law blog PHOSITA on the USPTO cutting Wikipedia as a source for examiners to determine patent validity. The BusinessWeek article cites Greg Aharonian stating: “I’ve been complaining about this for years. From a legal point of view, a Wiki citation is toilet paper.”

Wikipedia supporters (including many in the free software movement) may disagree with the decision. However, I'd be curious to hear what proposals for patent reform they would argue for given that Wikipedia's demotion at the USPTO will benefit the patent examination process.

posted by Noel Le @ 1:02 PM | Patents

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