US Supreme Court & Patents

Conspicuously missing during the John Roberts confirmation hearings was any discussion or questioning regarding Robert's views of intellectual property, yet this may be one of the most important issues examined during his tenure as Chief Justice. It is no small thing, then, that the AIPLA profiled Roberts as a member of the IP-maximalist camp, citing several key rulings which paint him as in favor of strong intellectual property rights weak freedoms to invent.

Why were there no questions regarding these important issues, from either side of the political aisle? Could it be that we live in a state where we have become so accustomed to strong IP monopolies that no one even questions these anymore? Could it be that all our elected officials, both Democrat and Republican, are IP-maximalists?

Today, Samuel Alito was nominated to the court. Will the Judiciary Panel side-step this issue once again? Don't we at least have the right to hear how these nominees feel about such important issues? Let your senators know how you feel.