Immigrant entrepreneurs vital for innovation

This Forbes article suggests that the United States has succeeded so greatly in the field of innovation because of our country’s diversity and ability to attract the best minds from across the world.

“More than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants (90 companies) or by their children (an additional 114 companies)…The cost of creating innovation teams around [foreign nationals] would be far less—and the chance of success far greater—if we could be certain that those we recruit will be here for the longer run. Increasing the allocations of and more strategically implementing H1-B visas is crucial.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2014/01/23/immigrant-entrepreneurs-vital-for-american-innovation/

The Future of Software Patents

Here is an interesting article inquiring into how the future of software patents may play out post Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank, an upcoming case before the Supreme Court. The article begs the question, does the current jurisprudence regarding patents actually stifle – rather than promote innovation? Considering how much technology affects our every day lives, a shift in how software patents are treated by the courts may have far reaching implications. From an entrepreneurs perspective, I can see two very valid yet opposing arguments. The first is that one could argue that the current state of patents creates an impenetrable barrier to entry, because those already in the market hold such an expansive and comprehensive patent portfolio that it would be all but impossible to enter the market without utilizing the something that has already been patented. On the other hand, one who has already created a patent may argue that without the ability to patent (even the most mundane) things, there is no incentive to even to attempt to enter the market in the first place.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/03/16/is-the-supreme-court-about-to-rule-that-software-is-ineligible-for-patent-protection/

 

Will current immigration proposals meet the same fate?

A quick article from the Washington Post on why the 1986 immigration overhaul didn’t accomplish what it was intended to do:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/30/in-1986-congress-tried-to-solve-immigration-why-didnt-it-work/

What are the assurances in current proposals that they will be more successful at providing a path to legal status, accommodating employer demand (without greasing the wheels for exploitation), and enforcing the border (which is as much a national security issue at this point as an economic one)?