This week we have 2 articles from CFO and Inc. highlighting both sides of patent reform and giving a more neutral overview of the controversy surrounding this issue.
In the first article from CFO, the issue of small companies being forced to pay licensing fees to patent trolls in order to avoid conflict with their investors is touched upon. It also questions whether or not patent reform will help or harm inventors and small businesses.
Throughout 2013, various legislative proposals have again been introduced that would dramatically change patent litigation in the courts. Innovation is a core pillar of our economy, and it’s important that the public and senators themselves hear from many sources, including universities and innovative small businesses.
We are cheered, as we head into the holidays, by hints from the Senate Judiciary Committee that patent reform will not be rushed to a vote as it was in the House. It appears that the voices of inventors and universities are being heard, and might even have an opportunity to be heard directly, in a hearing next year. Meanwhile, "unintended outcomes" of the various pieces of the bills are getting a closer look. Here's the round up:
Now that the dust has settled from passage of H.R. 3309, there has been a growing volume of news stories and blog posts that outline the problems with the bill and why the Senate should exercise extreme caution as it heads into hearings next week.
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/192347-weakening-paten...
The Innovation Act H.R. 3309 was passed by the House despite numerous critics who expressed real concerns about the bill's flaws. Problems with the bill are outlined in these media stories:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2068740/critics-to-congress-put-the-brake...
Innovation Alliance Executive Director Brian Pomper released the following statement today regarding House passage of the Innovation Act, H.R. 3309:
