By Dennis Crouch
I am happy to announce that Patently-O has once again been selected by the ABA Journal as one of the top 100 law blogs. This is the sixth year that the ABA has compiled this list and Patently-O is one of the handful of sites that have made the list each and every year. For the first time, the ABA Journal also created a "Hall of Fame" for law blogs and selected Patently-O as one of the ten introductory members. In my view, we've done an amazing job of improving the level of content and discussion over the past year. With the addition of Professors Rantanen and Hricik (on leave) and a number of other guest authors, Patently-O has more depth and breadth of coverage than ever before. MBHB has agreed to continue its exclusive sponsorship of the site. This means we can continue operating almost ad-free. And, hundreds of folks have found new jobs and connections through the Patently-O jobs site that is run by Ryan Swartz.
Although the ABA Journal top-100 list necessarily excludes a number of excellent IP law blog, the listed IP blogs are of a special caliber and I am honored that Patently-O is listed alongside. Other IP blogs on the list include:
- Noonan & Zuhn's Patent Docs;
- Gene Quinn's IPWatchDog;
- Eric Goldman's Technology & Marketing Law Blog;
- Groklaw now managed by Mark Webbink;
- Hollywood Esq from the Hollywood Reporter; and
- Rebecca Tushnet's 43(B)log
Congratulations to each of you! Blogging is really a community experience and I have a long connection with almost all of these listed blogs and their authors. I read Gene's impressive site (before it was a blog) even as a law student in Chicago. Gene also helped teach my patent bar review course (although I largely played hooky). I helped the Docs (Noonan and Zuhn) get started with their site while we were colleagues at MBHB. As he has been for many, Prof Goldman was instrumental in helping me find a job as a hopeful academic and then graciously welcoming me into the academy. Webbink and I continue to communicate regularly about ways to improve the patent system and both of us have the belief that broader participation and transparency will have important long term benefits. And, for several months each year I intensively read Prof. Tushnet's site (along with Prof Goldman's) as I teach my internet law course.
There is an ongoing popularity contest vote that Patently-O has won twice in the past. This year I have been discouraging folks from voting for Patently-O because there are so many other excellent IP blogs that also deserve to win.
Ranking company Cision just published its list that ranks Patently-O as No. 12 on the list of top law blog. BlogRank also just published its list that put Patently-O as No. 9 in its list of all law blogs. Professor Paul Caron rates Patently-O as No. 6 amongst faculty law blogs according to blog traffic. In his citation analysis, Professor Jay Brown ranks Patently-O as the third most cited law blog (in law journals).
I'll do a post soon on some of my favorite IP blogs, feel free to post your ideas in the comments.