These Are the Best Ways to Improve the Scientific Publication Process; Quora via Huffington Post, February 13, 2017

Quora via Huffington Post; 

These Are the Best Ways to Improve the Scientific Publication Process

"How should the scientific publication process be rethought to be more meritocratic? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by Rishabh Jain, MIT PhD, Co-founded two Research based companies in India and America, on Quora:

There are two major hurdles en route to meritocratic publishing:

• Speed to publication.
• Peer review meritocracy/efficacy."

Harold Rosen, Who Ushered in the Era of Communication Satellites, Dies at 90; New York Times, February 2, 2017

Zach Wichter, New York Times; 

Harold Rosen, Who Ushered in the Era of Communication Satellites, Dies at 90

"Whether you are reading these words online or in print, there is a strong chance that Harold A. Rosen played a part in getting them to you. Mr. Rosen, who died on Monday at 90 at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., was a driving force in the invention of modern communication satellite technology...

Mr. Rosen received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Ronald Reagan in 1985 for his work developing geostationary communication satellites. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2003."

Why the rise of authoritarianism is a global catastrophe; Washington Post, 2/13/17

Garry Kasparov and Thor Halvorssen, Washington Post; Why the rise of authoritarianism is a global catastrophe

[Kip Currier: A must-read ethical-call-to-action by two people who have directly suffered under authoritarianism and are expending their energies and voices toward raising awareness and taking civil liberties-based action on behalf of humanity, against abject moral bankruptcy and appalling abuses of power by authoritarian regimes.]

Illustrative point excerpted below about authoritarian impacts on patent filings.]

"If injustice and oppression aren’t bad enough, authoritarian governments bear an enormous social cost. Dictator-led countries have higher rates of mental illness, lower levels of health and life expectancy, and, as Amartya Sen famously argued, higher susceptibility to famine. Their citizens are less educated and file fewer patents. In 2016, more patents were filed in France than in the entire Arab world — not because Arabs are less entrepreneurial than the French, but because nearly all of them live under stifling authoritarianism. Clearly, the suppression of free expression and creativity has harmful effects on innovation and economic growth. Citizens of free and open societies such as Germany, South Korea and Chile witness advances in business, science and technology that Belarusans, Burmese and Cubans can only dream of."

Oracle refuses to accept pro-Google “fair use” verdict in API battle; Ars Technica, 2/11/17

David Kravets, Ars Technica; 

Oracle refuses to accept pro-Google “fair use” verdict in API battle

"Google successfully made its case to a jury last year that its use of Java APIs in Android was "fair use." A San Francisco federal jury rejected Oracle's claim that the mobile system infringed Oracle's copyrights.

But Oracle isn't backing down. Late Friday, the company appealed the high-profile verdict to a federal appeals court."

Trade Secret Misappropriation Rights: Defend Trade Secrets Act; National Law Review, 2/9/17

Craig S. Hilliard, National Law Review; 

Trade Secret Misappropriation Rights: Defend Trade Secrets Act

"In the recent past, a company would weigh the benefit of 1) filing a public patent with 20 year exclusivity and strong infringement remedies; or 2) choosing to keep the IP “secret” despite limitations on court actions and remedies. A balancing advantage for “trade secret” over patent is the indefinite period of protection. If the business keeps it well-hidden, it has a sort of quasi-monopoly over the “product.”

Unlike with patents, however, trade secret misappropriation rights have historically been limited. For example, if a suspected bad actor reverse-engineered a product protected by patent, it would be ruled an infringement with harsh penalties. For a trade secret however, accidental discovery or reverse-engineering are not protected rights. Both are valid defenses to a misappropriation claim...

Dealing with issues involving patents or trade secrets can be very complex. It is suggested that you consult with experienced legal council to assist with the process."

3 companies apply to patent 'fake news'; CNN Money via http://www.local10.com ABC affiliate, 2/10/17

Heather Long, CNN Money via http://www.local10.com ABC affiliate; 

3 companies apply to patent 'fake news'

[Kip Currier: I just posted (see post below this one) this CNN Money story by Heather Long, and then saw this version of the same story posted by local10.com WPLG in South Florida. In the original CNN Money article, Heather Long correctly used "trademark" in the headline. Inexplicably and mistakenly, local10.com WPLG changed the term "trademark" to "patent", rather than just going with the correct headline Heather Long had used.

(Psst...WPLG--trademarks and patents are different types of Intellectual Property!)

Looks like someone in that newsroom needs a primer on the different types of Intellectual Property (an *opportunity* for WPLG General Counsel?). Or an editor who understands the IP distinctions.]

3 companies apply to trademark 'fake news'; CNN Money, 2/10/17

Heather Long, CNN Money; 

3 companies apply to trademark 'fake news'

"Three U.S. companies are trying to trademark the term "fake news." One of the applications is from the animation team behind "The Simpsons." Another is from the group behind the popular game Cards Against Humanity.

These companies applied for a trademark to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on January 12, the day after the press conference when then President-elect Donald Trump called CNN "fake news" (a claim CNN debunked)."