One of my DC readers sent in the following information, that PTO
Management forced members of the media off of PUBLIC PTO FACILITIES. Is
PTO management's general contempt for the interests of the the public
becoming worse?
====================
Greg-
More grist for your mill:
Although I was not personally present during the interview by the Post's
reporter, I have been told by several present that the reporter was for
intents and purposes evicted from the public search library by PTO staff.
I'm told that they refused to allow the reporter access to the WEST system
and made her leave as she had no business there.
One would assume that such a public relations gaffe would NOT be repeated.
WRONG! The local NBC affiliate sent a news crew to interview WEST users
this afternoon. The news crew took a position outside the door of the
PTO building housing the public search room. After asking several
searchers their impression of the WEST system, the news crew was asked
to leave the premises by the same PTO staff and eventually made to
vacate the premises by representatives of the landlord.
Given that the areas both media representatives were forced to vacate
are either Federal property with no restriction to public access or
property leased by the Federal Government for the purpose of allowing
public access to agency located there, it seems odd that members of the
public (albeit media types) were evicted. Is the PTO fear of this
fiscal fiasco's consequences so great that they are willing to take on
the media and abrograte the public's right to access?
====================
What is PTO management covering up that they are willing to engage in
such illegal, and frankly stupid, actions? Why they do it is obvious -
because the patent bar (re:AIPLA) and big industry (re:IPO) implicitly
gives their approval in their silence.
Make sure in the current patent reform bill that a provision is added
that forces PTO management to respect the Constitution and Bill of Rights
- and that insures the public's access, including the media, to public
PTO facilities.
Greg Aharonian
Internet Patent News Service