Another Rant against Patent Attorneys

So, I went to a CLE luncheon today put on by the IP Section of the Bar. I've become accustomed, I suppose, to the patent bar generally taking positions at these CLE's that relentlessly criticize what they characterize as the unreasonable dumbies at the PTO, without ever, a single time, actually granting the PTO or the Federal Circuit any shred of legitimacy. Still gets me worked up to hear 'em, though.

Today's subject was Bilski. And instead of actually discussing why the Federal Circuit might actually be reasonably concerned with business method subject matter, all we got was a bunch of impassioned rhetoric about how section 101 clearly should be read to allow business methods, along with a heaping helping of "strategies" to "traverse unreasonable" examiner positions, buy time until the Supreme Court can rule on Bilski, and get issued patents into reissue proceedings to get some slivers of patentable subject matter into the claims.

At one point, one of the attorney presenters (from my favorite ethical punching bag, Workman Nydegger), let slip in a tirade against examiner incompetence how sometimes he's amazed at how some of his claims get allowed when even he recognizes they shouldn't be. As I sat at a table front and center, I whispered ever so quietly that perhaps he shouldn't submit claims he knows to be bogus.

Self-important ass refused to acknowledge me in the Q&A session afterward. But that just made me smile all the wider as I kept my hand held high....