I read a lot. I write very little. I have seen the topic of Patents discussed many times over the years. It's obvious that very few people have any first hand experience with Patents. I expect that the author of this thread has long since moved on, however there are many others who have interest in the subject matter. The Patent Office has transferred enforcement (which includes authentication) over to the Federal Court System. For at least the past 20 years, Patents are considered less than valid until they are "tested" in Court. If somebody has a really good (high value) Patent, it's possible for somebody else to simply outspend them with attorney fees until the owner of the Patent just gives up. Most people, when confronted with the facts, are far less thrilled with the prospect of getting their very own patent.
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