There are countless things this recession has affected, most of them obvious. And while this particular effect may not be unexpected, it’s yet another reminder that the U.S., for reasons that go from a weakening education system to a tougher stance toward immigrating graduate students, has slipped in the innovation department. Are we still the preeminent innovation force in the world? Yes. But if we weren’t, we’d be on our way to the third world. So maintaining our vigor here should be something at fore of all our leaders’ minds.
Patents filed in the U.S. this year have fallen 2.3% to 485,000, according to the patent office. What’s worse, patents issued to foreign firms rose 6.3%. This could be the beginning of a spiraling trend. Let’s hope it’s not and that’s it’s merely an effect of what has been a battering period of economic retraction in the U.S.
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