Some 40 per cent of all patents on electronic devices and 80 per cent of
software patents may be invalid, claims Gregory Aharonian, patent searcher and
author of the Internet newsletter Patnews. Aharonian says that patent
offices are simply not capable of checking the novelty of many claims.
Aharonian says that only peer review can provide the acid test. 鈥淏ut 90 per
cent of all the electronics patents issued around the world since 1975
effectively cited nothing from all of the major engineering societies鈥�
conferences and publications,鈥� he says. 鈥淧atent offices are not qualified to
assess novelty and obviousness.鈥�