The Final State of the Union
This is historical material “frozen in time”. The website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work.
Summary:
Congratulations to the House Judiciary Committee for its stewardship in ushering the bipartisan, bicameral, Leahy-Smith America Invents Act onto the Floor for full House consideration.
Congratulations to the House Judiciary Committee for its stewardship in ushering the bipartisan, bicameral, Leahy-Smith America Invents Act onto the Floor for full House consideration.
Enactment of this bi-partisan patent reform legislation would advance an important component of the President’s Strategy for American Innovation. As such, we urge the House to pass H.R. 1249, as modified by the Manager’s Amendment, so this important job-creating legislation can be enacted.
It is also crucial that final legislative action ensure that the US Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) fee collections are made fully available to support the Nation’s patent and trademark system.
A strong patent system is vital to all types of innovators – whether they are hobbyists, small business entrepreneurs, or team members within large industrial enterprises. The time-limited market exclusivity allowed by patents helps businesses raise funds to create jobs, invest in research and development, and launch new cutting-edge products and services.
At the same time, the disclosure requirements that accompany patent issuance ensure that others don’t waste time and resources reinventing the wheel but rather accelerate the Nation’s engine of ingenuity by taking inventions to the next level of sophistication and efficiency.
We desperately need to revamp our Nation’s intellectual property system to meet the needs of today’s fast-moving global economy. Passage of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act would help boost patent quality, reduce the backlog of patent applications, and cut costs for American companies. The legislation will provide greater certainty and consistency for innovators’ rights, reduce legal costs that often hinder small businesses as they develop their products, and make it easier for innovators to bring their inventions to the global marketplace.
I am hopeful that the President will have the opportunity to sign this historic legislation this year, which would help unlock the potential of U.S. inventors to help America create quality jobs and out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.
Aneesh Chopra is the U.S. Chief Technology Officer
