A first to publish system might be even better. Filing with the patent office would just be a publication option if it is not possible to publish the invention in some other venue, which is unlikely in the age of the internet.
In terms of timing, the role of the patent office should be to decide who *published* the idea first, rather than to serve as the first publisher. For example if Rossi were to immediately publish the important details of his invention on the internet, he would have a date of first publication he could use for his patent application and it would allow the science community to begin tests of his discovery. Harry ----- Original Message ---- > From: Harry Veeder <hlvee...@yahoo.com> > To: vortex-l@eskimo.com > Sent: Fri, March 11, 2011 4:35:16 PM > Subject: [Vo]:first to file vs. first to invent > > First-to-File vs. First-to-Invent: Who Really Benefits from Changing the U.S. > Patent System? > > http://tinyurl.com/47mrehh > >http://www.generalpatent.com/first-file-vs-first-invent-who-really-benefits-changing-u-s-patent-system >m > > > > > harry > > >
