patent reform

If it’s consistency you seek, the people and companies promoting patent reform have certainly delivered. They have an uncanny ability to identify the “bad guy” and play out that storyline whether it’s based in fact or not. Since the latest efforts at patent reform were put on hold a couple of weeks ago, we have learned of two potential sources of villainy: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and those pesky Trial Lawyers (so easy to hate).

Big victory today as Senate Judiciary Chairman Leahy (D-VT) delayed patent legislation once again. As we have said in the past, we don't believe that this bill is being given the time and consideration it deserves.

We are hopeful that Congress recognizes that we need more time to craft a bill that will help American innovators while reducing unnecessary patent litigation. A statement was released from Edison Nation, USIJ and Entrepreneurs for Growth supporting the decision.

Read the full statement below:

More advocacy organizations and additional trade groups continue their lobbying effort approaching the proposed markup date, and previously unheard groups are finally speaking out.

A group consisting of over 200 universities, startups and other companies sent a letter on Tuesday, 4/29 warning of the potential consequences that will result from changes that they say “go far beyond what is necessary or desirable to combat abusive patent litigation.”

Why is Congress considering patent reform legislation that will chill R&D investment, devalue patents and create an unfairly balanced environment for large infringers vs. small inventors? That was the theme on April 1, when Bloomberg Government held an in-depth panel discussion in Washington, DC about the potential overhaul of the patent system. The discussion had panelists from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Federal Trade Commission, Association of American Universities, Samsung Electronics, and more.

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:

It was a fast paced week on the Hill as Goodlatte's Innovation Act, H.R. 3309 was passed by the House Judiciary Committee. We expect more break neck speed action after the Thanksgiving holiday, as the bill makes its way toward a House vote.
Here are a few highlights from the week in media:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-patents-copyright-p...

At a conference hosted by the Innovation Alliance in September in Washington D.C., Federal Circuit Court Judge Kathleen O'Malley warned the audience that she believes certain patent proposals would interfere with the role of independent judiciary in patent cases.

There’s an idea looming in Congress and it threatens the core of our economy: small businesses. The biggest thing our country has is technology and the skills, knowhow, excitement and innovation to create something new. One idea puts that all in jeopardy.