A new provision in a patent law, recently approved by Congress, gives a "micro entity" as much as a 75% discount on a patent application.

Whether the White House petition site has any influence on patents or on any other issue is questionable.

Anthony Figliola, vice president of Empire Government Strategies, a New York-based grassroots lobbying and government relations firm, said the White House's petition site could be corrupted if professional advocacy groups "just bombard" the site with petitions and signatures.