Thursday, June 6, 2013 ! The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com C fe ii gan Baihj Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu Thursday, June 6, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 9 KEVIN TUNGI Patent trolling Good, but not good enough 'M' finishes season KATIE BURKE EDITOR IN CHIEF ERIC FERGUSON EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ELLIOT ALPERN MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. F ROM T H. .,,A Legacy admiussions 'U' should clarify how legacy factors into applications According to a recent New York Times article, the University's enrollment of low-income students is substantially lower than sev- eral similar universities. Though there are many factors contribut- ing to that fact, one, legacy status, stands out for its role in the admissions process. How the Office of Undergraduate Admissions uses legacy status while making decisions isn't readily apparent, though it does collect that data. Other schools have released admissions data for legacy applicants, and some have even gone as far as dropping legacy entirely from their admissions process. The University should follow both of these examples - legacy status is a dubious category to include in an application process. At the very least, admissions should clarify its policy towards legacy admis- sions and make information about the acceptance rate for legacy students Many major technology com- panies such as Apple, Hewlett- Packard, Samsung and Dell have been bombarded with law- suits on the grounds of patent infringement. Patent holding firms, or "patent trolls," accu- mulate and bundle together portfolios of patents and then sue major companies for pat- ent infringement. These patent trolls then make a quick buck off licensing fees and damages and force companies to take on cost- lylawsuits to protect their prod- ucts. Sometimes businesses are sued without even knowing the owner of the patent. Businesses are put at a disadvantage as pat- ent trolls exploit loopholes in the system. Rep. Ted Deutch's (D-Fla.) End Anonymous Patents Act was introduced and passed in an effort to combat patent troll- ing activities and put a stop to some of its inflictions upon businesses, such as discourag- ing future inventions, and it would strengthen the patent system. With the introduction and enforcement of the EAPA, there will be tightened regula- tion in place and inventors and small businesses will be free from the grip of patent trolls who are currently abusing the patent system for personal gain, The customer-suit exception is one part of the EAPA that is invoked as an exception to the First-Filed rule, which allows a federal district court to decide what to do with a complaint when there's already a similar complaint set as a precedent in court. Customer-suit exception allows a later filed case against or by the manufacturer to take precedent over the earlier filed case. Since the manufacturer must protect customers in order to avoid rulings against its prod- ucts, the manufacturer is tech- nically the "true defendant in a case." Compared to an individu- al customer, a manufacturer has a stronger interest in defending on the grounds of minimizing litigation cost than they do for litigating merits of the case. The greater influence the manu- facturer has is salient to busi- ness's long-term growth. Thus, it's in the favor of the business being sued to be able to turn to the customer-suit exception for legal assistance. By demanding letters and litigation, the EAPA would also make the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office keep records of patents and be informed of real-party-in-interest infor- mation. Increased transpar- ency would help to reduce the defendant's litigation cost by eliminating the real owner of the patent's anonymity. In addi- tion, a user-friendly webpage would be made available for the public to access basic pat- ent data recorded at PTO. The freer flow of basic information shall increase transparency and make it more efficient for both the general public and businesses to make evaluations and judgments. The EAPA and its enforcement would save small companies and businesses from being ripped off by patent trolls. With ample information resources, companies would be able to protect their products and services by analyzing and comparing patent-holding firms before deciding to do business with them. This is the age of information. To a trader, having information about a stock allows for more precise prediction. In the case of patents having information about patent-holding firms and patent records collectedby PTO allows for higher transparei' and better protection winh in turt encourageo more proprietary inventions. In response to the increase in patent abuse cases, the EA P was introduced and implemen:- ed to restore and reinforce the dignified freedom that was key to nurturing new inventions and new ideas. The customer-suit exception will allow manufac- turers to take a legal stance in the best interests of the business as the true defendant in court. With more transparency and information resources, there will be reduced litigation costs and businesses will be more effectively protected from pat- ent trolls. The End Anonymous Patents Act will be a big part of the solution to strengthen the patent system and encourage business inventions. Kevin Tung is an LSA senior. Any time a Michigan team wins a Big Ten championship, the sea- son is deemed a suc- JASON cess. RUBINSTEIN The MThi- On Women's Tennis gan women's tennis team may be the exception, though. This year's team won a Big Ten title, but time after time couldn't win on the big stage. Despite the title, the Wolverines could've done more. Entering her sixth year as head coach, Ronni Bernstein had a rock solid team, from top to bottom. But the depth couldn't prove enough in crunch time. Michigan fell in the Big Ten Tournament final, was ousted in the Sweet 16, and no individual team got passed the second round of the NCAA Championships. Under Bernstein, the program has been successful. The Big Ten Coach of the Year stresses team over self, and in turn, individual success occurs. But come crunch time, the team faltered. After losing just once in the Big Ten season, the Wolverines won their fourth-straight Big Ten title, and were poised to bring that momentum tuto the Big Ten Tournament For Michigan, the Big Ten Tournament has been a struggle in recent years, as it can never seem to win the crown. For the past eight years, the Wolverines have fallen in the final and seven of those times were to Northwest- ern. And this year was no different. Though they defeated the Wildcats in their regular season meeting, the Wolverines couldn't find a way to win when the tournament was on the line. ThetournamentwasMichigan's to lose - the Wolverines boasted a far stronger singles lineup and more depth than Northwestern brought to the table. What plagued this year's team was the inability to regroup and compose itself after giving up the doubles point. Michigan was 19-0 when winning the point, but just 3-6 without it. And while the 19-0 record is noteworthy, the best teams, like the 2013 champion, Stanford, manage to fight back after they give up the doubles point. When a team relies so heavily on the doubles point, it must put out three competitive duos. Depth, not a star-studded pair, is what makes the best teams so good. This year, Michigan's third position had an 8-14 record. When a spot in the lineup struggles so heavily, like the Wolverines' third pair, the pressure is increased drastically for the top two pairs. If Michigan's most reliable pair, junior Brooke Bolender and sophomore Emina Bektas, are losing, or even the second pair, it's almost a sure-fire bet that the Wolverines will lose the doubles point. More times than not, the third pair could not get the win, putting enormous pressure on the first two teams. Take the NCAA Team Championships, for example. No. 10 Michigan was taking on No. 7 UCLA and knew it needed the doubles point to win the meet. UCLA boasted one of the strongest singles lineups in the country, complemented by a successful group of doubles pairings. But the team's third pair was dominated, putting all the pressure on the top two pairs. Bektas and Bolender pulled out a win on their court, but the second pair couldn't grind out the win, giving UCLA the point. The Bruins went onto win three singles matches, removing the Wolverines from the tournament and ending their team season. If the 2013-14 team needs to fix one thing, it's the doubles lineup. Michigan proved to be unbeat- able when winning the point, and by solidifying bottom pairings the team will see greatness. The good news for the Wolverines isthatthey'rebringing back their top pair of Bektas and Bolender, and will have a veteran in sophomore Sarah Lee and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Ronit Yurovsky. On the individual side, the team also needs more. Michigan has the skill to win on the national level. Bektas and Bolender were a 5-8 seed in the doubles draw, earning them All- American status, and were already playing familiar opponents from UCLA. But the reliable pair faltered, losing in straight sets. Though the Bruins were a very strong and capable team, this was a shocking upset. The Wolverine pair throughout the season cited their success based on aggressiveness and an ability to fight, but come crunch time, it failed. This pair will need to rebound next season. Bektas and Bolender play with a style that all the Michigan pairings should emulate. Having both players at the net every point could be the strategy Bernstein should instill in all three teams, and there is no better way to learn than from Bektas and Bolender. Singles is a different story.With only two NCAA qualifiers, Bektas and Yurovsky, not much was expected. Yet the results were still disappointing. Bektas was ousted in the first round, which marked the second straight year this happened. If Bektas truly wants to cement her legacy as one of the Michigan greats, she will need to do moreon the national stage. Yurovsky's results were different. The freshman got to the second round and lost to the eventual champion, Nicole Gibbs of Stanford. Yurovsky gave Gibbs arguably her toughest match of the tournament, though. The Wolverines have a lot to look forward to in Yurovsky. If there's one thing to know about this year's singles lineup, it's that it was young, overall. Michigan's oldest singles player was junior Bolender. With such a young team, growing pains were going to be inevitable. The team showed success but when playing three- set matches, the opposing team usually pulled out the win. With time, three-set wins and the mental fortitude will get better. With the whole singles lineup returning, and with the additions of five-star recruit Sara Remynse and Colombian Laura Ucros, this team should boast one of the strongest lineups in the Big Ten and even the country. The future is bright for the Wolverines, and only they can control their destiny. By BO BRADARICH Daily Sports Writer This weekend marked the Michigan women's rowing team's sixth-straight appearance in the NCAA Championships. Though all eyes were set on seizing their 13th Top-10 finish in program history, it failed to do so, settling for 12th. In the end, the Wolverines con- cluded the NCAA Championships with a ninth-place showing in the 1V8, 12th in the 1V4, and 15th in the 2V8. In total, Michigan only accu- mulated 69 points throughout the competition. The first place finish- er, Ohio State, amassed 126. Upon entering competition, Michigan was ranked the 12th seed in the first varsity eight, 15th seed in the second varsity eight and the 13th seed in the varsity four. On the first day of competition, the Wolverines' 1v8 placed third in theirheatwithatimeof(7:02.313,13 seconds behind first-place Virginia (6:49.64). The 2v8 also finished third in their race, finishing with a time of7:08.61-12 seconds behind California - while the 1v4 finished 4th behind Washington, Notre Dame and UCLA. These results forced Michigan to row in the repechage races in the afternoon, where it would have to climbup the ladder format to decide the team's placement in the finals. The 1v8 came out strong, winning their heat with a time of 7:09.964. The first place performance pushed the Wolverines to an A/B semifinal showing the following day. The 2v8 came in third in their repechage heat behind UCLA and Stanford with a time of 7:31.747, but Michigan was senttothe C/D semi- finals, as only the top two finishers in each heat advance to A/B's. However, what the Wolverines lacked in speed this season, they made up for in wit. The women's rowing team placed 18 student- athletes on the All-Big Tee academic squad. Michigan also had four student-athletes receive Central All-Region awards from the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association. Senior Melisa Ongun and sophomore Jessica Eiffert were selected for the first team,, while seniors Shannon Stief and Kate Grimaldi earned second-team accolades. --.5 OK available to the public. A "legacy" student or applicant is someone whose sibling, parent or grandparent went to the University. At some schools, whether or not an applicant has legacy status gives that student special consideration in the admission process. One study looking at over two dozen univer- sities found that a parental legacy connection to a school increased a student's chances of getting accepted by up to 45.1 percent. For an applicant to the University, how- ever, it's extremely difficult to judge how legacy factors into the admis- sions process. Admissions uses the Common Application, which col- lects information about siblings and parents who went to the University, but the Undergraduate Admissions website doesn't mention legacy as one of the factors in the admissions process. The presence of a question on last year's Common App supple- ment asking applicants to name any grandparents who went to the Uni- versity further confounds the issue. Students planning to apply to the University in the coming years deserve to know exactly how legacy status factors into their applications, and it's primarily for their sake that the University should clarify their policy. If it is a factor, the University should abolish this practice. Consideration based on legacy status is a form of nepotism and has no place in the University admissions process. Other universities such as Texas A&M and Massachusetts Institute of Technology have eliminated leg- acy considerations in admissions. The University should follow suit with these schools if it uses legacy status in a similar way, as those programs make it harder for other students to get in. They also tend to cut down on diversity, as past gen- erations of college graduates have had a higher proportion of whites than the current generation. Exam- ining how the University uses lega- cy status in the admissions process is a vital step towards ensuring all students have a fair shot to get into this University. FOLLOW DAILY OPINION ON TWITTER Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. Check out @michdailyoped to get updates on Daily opinion content.