The new Director of the USPTO has set up his own blog. The first entry can be viewed here. Comments are welcome although they are subject to editorial approval prior to posting.
The first entry concerns patents, the independent inventor and proposed changes in the US to convert to a "first to file system". The US is one of the few countries in the world that still grants patents to the inventor who was the "first to invent" rather than the first inventor who filed an application for the same invention (ie. "first to file"). As the Director points out, disputes over who was the first to invent only arise where two inventors independently develop the same invention at approximately the same time period. Canada is a "first to file" jurisdiction.
There are also good policy and practical reasons to favour a "first to file" system. Of course, it is controversial as you can see from the comments on the Director's Blog.
