A victory for Apple but inventors still lose

[Commentary] Apple’s $1 billion win over Samsung should give inventors cautious optimism. It was an overwhelming victory in spite of a vacillating process that puts the onus on the patent’s owner to prove it has been copied, rather than the infringer to prove it has not. Lately, intellectual property cases have shown the global patent system to be complex and fickle, seemingly promoting plagiarism over progress and offering the holder little, if any, protection. Innovation is burdened by a double standard, by which it is deemed immoral to forge a painting or rip off a handbag, while copying others’ technology or industrial design is practically encouraged as part of healthy global competition. But it is akin to theft.

With Apple and Samsung sparring in almost a dozen countries, it is easy to forget that patents go beyond smartphones and intangible technology portfolios. But patents lead to revolutionary ideas and advances. We need compatible national patent systems – enforced uniformly around the world – that can deal with the realities of modern technology. They need to grant more robust patents and take copycats off the market faster. We need judicial systems to recognize that new ideas have value and should be protected.

[The writer is founder and chief engineer of Dyson]