ON - Omidyar Network

PeerToPatent is piloting an online system for open peer review of patents. It calls on distributed and collaborative expertise to research, submit, and comment on prior art in order to increase efficiency in the patent process and ultimately spur innovation.

Why We Invested

PeerToPatent encourages public participation and fosters openness and accountability in the filing and review of patents. Through its work, PeerToPatent strives to improve the patent system to produce higher quality patents, lower the economic burden on governments, and increase the efficiency of markets.

The current patent process can be slow and ineffective, resulting in needless lawsuits and disincentives to innovate. PeerToPatent breaks down these barriers to participation and increases patent quality by allowing anyone to be a peer reviewer or to process a patent application. Participants can also submit a qualified patent application for open review. By increasing transparency in the U.S. patent process, PeerToPatent encourages trust in the patent system.