[fern12]

>I'll bet it's pretty easy for two companies to make a deal to pay bonuses to each other's employees when patents are granted.

With regard to the moonlighting patent examiners, I'm fairly certain this is illegal. See MPEP 309 and MPEP 1702.

https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s309.html#d0e1919... https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1702.html

[Cthulhu_]

It's not a crime if nobody finds out.

[fern12]

True. But occasionally, it does happen.

https://www.ipethicslaw.com/pto-suspends-ptab-atty-who-filed...

[snowwrestler]

By this logic, all the patent examiners might be jaywalkers and murderers too.

[patentatt]

Seriously folks, this doesn’t happen. Don’t get all tinfoil hat-ey on this.