Patents are a measure of our innovation and while the US remains ahead of other countries, our lead is closing significantly. This factor, combined with the growing commoditization of most markets that sends work overseas has hindered job creation significantly. The best thing that Obama can do is to pursue an innovation agenda:
1. Far more money in basic research, which the government funds;
2. Create incentives for companies to pool resources together (perhaps with Government match) to engage in development too expensive for any one company, but critical to our country’s future manufacturing;
3. Fix our PK-12 schools;
4. Allow the PhDs we educate and PhDs from other countries to reside here—our economic security is far more of an issue than our physical security as far as I can read;
5. Make a class in entrepreneurship and economics mandatory for every HS and College student. We’d change our culture within a generation;
6. Make it more financially attractive to invest in start ups and early stage companies;
7. Create a health care plan for start-ups so that lack of health care does not stop people from being entrepreurs;
8. Create a Golden Globes for entrepreneurs with Steve Martin hosting.

Interesting – I wonder if this is a sign of changing business trends. Is it possible that over time we will see a shift in emphasis away from the formal patenting process and toward this kind of openness?