Wisconsin News Papers

A sampling of editorials from Wisconsin newspapers

Let Patent Office keep all its fees

Anytime we see Wisconsin representatives Jim Sensenbrenner and Tammy Baldwin on the same side of an issue, our interest is heightened, because the two members of Congress are usually on opposite sides.

Sensenbrenner, a Republican from Menomonee Falls is among the most conservative in the House, while Baldwin a Madison Democrat, is among the most liberal.

But last week, Sensenbrenner and Baldwin co-wrote an op-ed on a bill to reform procedures in the U.S. Patent Office, specifically objecting to expansion of "prior user rights," which the two lawmakers contend will suffocate small business innovation and investments.

"Expansion of prior-user rights would give new rights to those who have previously developed and used the same process or product, even if they never publicly divulged their innovation and never applied for a patent," the lawmakers said. "It would transform our patent system from one that values transparency to one that rewards secrecy."

This, they said would have a disastrous effect on research at universities, including UW-Madison, which has benefited from protection of intellectual property rights through patents.

"The expansion of prior-user rights is bad for researchers, small-business innovators and patent holders. Instead, we support patent reforms that will preserve the benefits of patent holders and encourage job creation here at home," Sensenbrenner and Baldwin wrote.

We agree, but we also wish the two representatives will seek to override another part of the patent reform bill — one that another Wisconsin Congressman supports.

Rep. Paul Ryan, who heads the House budget committee, wants to continue to siphon off the fees that are paid to secure patents from the U.S. Patent Office and use them elsewhere in the federal budget. But doing this would exacerbate a problem the office currently has— the long delay in getting a patent on a new product or idea because of a lack of staff to do needed research. This delay, like expansion of prior use rights, has a stifling effect on innovation.

New products or improvement of existing ones is the lifeblood of our economy. Businesses introducing new products are likely to add workers and expand payrolls.

We urge Reps. Sensenbrenner and Baldwin to see that the patent office is allowed to keep all of the fees it gets for patent applications so it can speed up the process of issuing patents and help speed up the economic recovery.

Southern Wis. newspapers get new leader

PORTAGE (AP) - There's a new leader heading several Capital Newspapers publications, including the Portage Daily Register, the Baraboo News Republic and Beaver Dam Daily Citizen.

Matt Meyers says his job as general manager is very similar to his predecessor, publisher George Althoff, who left the company last week. Meyers says no major changes in the operations of the newspapers are anticipated.

The papers also include the Wisconsin Dells Events, the Reedsburg Times-Press, the Sauk Prairie Eagle, the Juneau County Star-Times, four shoppers and some niche publications.

Wisconsin newspapers, 1833-1850, an analytical bibliography

Wisconsin newspapers, their coverage of a student demonstration, Feb. 7-21, 1969

Red book, American state, county & town sources

Wisconsin newspapers and city manager campaigns

Editor & publisher