In 2011, Congress created a program designed to streamline district court patent cases. One aim of the Patent Pilot Program was to reduce the high cost of patent litigation. The idea was to foster a greater level of specialization in technical and procedural issues unique to patent matters among certain judges. The rationale was simple: judges who more regularly hear patent cases will be better equipped to efficiently and correctly resolve complex issues—such as the meaning of technical terms during claim construction.
The natural question: Is it working? A government report on the program is not due until 2016. But, based on three years of available data, it appears that the program is achieving at least some of its goals.
