Hacker News Reader

It has nothing to do with the recent legislation. The patent was filed in 2008, so is under the old "first to invent" regime.

That is not at all how "first to file" works. You still need to be presenting a novel invention that doesn't have prior art.

First to file drastically reduces the number and complexity of patent disputes and it improves the stability of a patent once acquired.

And there's always been a de facto paperwork requirement under first to invent anyhow, it's just that you had to keep nauseatingly detailed "inventor's logs" just in case somebody sued you. And even then you could be bankrupted in court by someone running a frivolous interference case.

First to file is a net win. That's why everyone else on Earth has been using it.

IANAL, TINLA.

Twitter's patent application was filed in 2008, so no, this is not related to the recent legislative change.