While the easier approach might be to look the other way and let a handful of impacted manufacturers fight this battle alone, I'm not sure it would be a wise one.
Preissuance submissions are a one-chance opportunity to present prior art in such a way that an examiner will be convinced to apply the prior art to reject pending claims in a patent application.
"The preissuance submission provision in the America Invents Act aims to bring the most relevant prior art to the examiner’s attention as early as possible during prosecution to enhance examination effectiveness and efficiency,” says Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos.
Researchers have identified a number of global trends that will have an impact on the adhesive business. One major trend is to use energy more efficiently—both to protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions and from a basic cost-of-energy standpoint.
No matter what you call them—RFQs, RFPs, online auctions, reverse auctions or bids—they all spell bad news for the adhesives and sealants industry. These exercises will ultimately do irreparable harm to the industry as a whole.