Commentary

Suppose you’re a venture capitalist in San Francisco or Boston, and you’re on the verge of investing big bucks in a promising high-tech firm in Wisconsin. Everything looks right: The management team is in place, the business plan is tight, and the technology is novel....

A couple weeks ago, I asked, "Just what is this Web 2.0?" I'm not the only one who ponders the wide use of a phrase to label everything from start-ups ("Oh, that's a Web 2.0 company") to services ("Here's another Web 2.0 site") to...

In the interest of its own efficiency, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is proposing rule changes that would restrict the ability of patent applicants to file and prosecute multiple related applications — and would alter your approach to claiming your invention....

There are many municipalities around the Midwest looking for new ways to increase sales tax revenues. While many are trying traditional and somewhat complicated approaches, municipalities grasping for economic development ideas should simply look to updating their old ordinances....

The model is that the ownership of a patent right initially goes to the inventor. But who owns the rights to inventions made in the workplace? The company? The inventing employee? It depends on the circumstances....

We have the opportunity to transform healthcare and improve patient safety by better leveraging information technology to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness of our healthcare system. But adoption has been slow, and the results have been mixed....

Expert performers. Pavarotti hitting the high C. Lance Armstrong vanquishing the Tour de France field. Yo Yo Ma becoming one with the cello. Wayne Gretzky piling up the points. We've all seen these stars in action, reaching the penultimate in their fields, doing things that...