如何應對專利“恐怖”主義(9): 虎出SIR招，龍何以對？

前麵介紹過龍虎爭霸(interference)，就是你和別人爭奪某個專利。在個別情況下，別人(虎申請人)可能會放棄專利(waives the right to receive a patent on the invention)，轉而隻要求美國專利局 publish SIR (即Statutory Invention Registration)。作為龍，你將如何應對？我認為你可以有兩個選擇，一個是積極的，另一個是消極的。積極的做法是不但要挑起爭霸，而且要將爭霸進行到底，勢在必得，並阻止美國專利局publish虎SIR。消極的做法是，既然老虎不要專利牙齒，自廢武功(嚴格講是自廢對武功的追求)，將來你要實施那個技術，老虎也不會用那個could be虎專利來趕你咬你，你幹脆偃旗息鼓，放棄爭霸。消極做法的代價是，也沒人會用那個could be虎專利來趕其他任何人，就此一點，你會和別人處於同樣的競爭地位。積極做法當然不一樣，如你拿到專利，可以用它去趕別人，你肯定不會自個兒趕自個兒，因此一點，你會比別人多個競爭優勢。

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the Director is authorized to publish a statutory invention registration (虎出SIR招) containing the specification and drawings of a regularly filed application for a patent without examination if the applicant (虎SIR的條件)(1) meets the requirements of section 112 of this title; (2) has complied with the requirements for printing, as set forth in regulations of the Director; (3) waives the right to receive a patent on the invention (自廢武功) within such period as may be prescribed by the Director; and (4) pays application, publication, and other processing fees established by the Director.

If an interference is declared with respect to such an application (你堅持爭霸), a statutory invention registration may not be published (不許publish虎SIR) unless the issue of priority of invention is finally determined in favor of the applicant (除非虎是先發明人).

(b) The waiver under subsection (a)(3) of this section by an applicant shall take effect upon publication of the statutory invention registration.

(c) A statutory invention registration published pursuant to this section shall have all of the attributes specified for patents in this title except those specified in section 183 and sections 271 through 289 of this title (老虎could自廢的武功中最厲害的). A statutory invention registration shall not have any of the attributes specified for patents in any other provision of law other than this title. A statutory invention registration published pursuant to this section shall give appropriate notice to the public, pursuant to regulations which the Director shall issue, of the preceding provisions of this subsection. The invention with respect to which a statutory invention certificate is published is not a patented invention for purposes of section 292 of this title.

(d) The Director shall report to the Congress annually on the use of statutory invention registrations. Such report shall include an assessment of the degree to which agencies of the federal government are making use of the statutory invention registration system, the degree to which it aids the management of federally developed technology, and an assessment of the cost savings to the Federal Government of the uses of such procedures.