us-congress
15 July 2015Patents

US congressmen: Anti-‘patent troll’ bills are destructive

A group of US congressmen has claimed that two “sweeping anti-patent” bills targeting abusive litigation would be “destructive” to the US economy if they are approved by Congress.

Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Democratic Party, said during a press conference yesterday, July 14, that “passing the extensive patent reform being proposed in the House [of Representatives] could hurt the very communities patents are meant to protect—innovators, small businesses and job creators”.

Coons was criticising the Innovation Act and the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act (PATENT Act), currently being debated.

He was joined by Democrat representatives in the House John Conyers, Bill Foster and Scott Peters, and Republican representative Thomas Massie.

Republican senator David Vitter, who also joined the press conference, posted an account of it on his official website. The conference was held, according to Vitter, to highlight the “broad opposition” to sweeping anti-patent legislation.

The House is expected to vote on the Innovation Act by the end of this month, while the full Senate could vote on the PATENT Act either this month or in the autumn.

Both bills are aimed at tackling abusive litigation from non-practising entities.

But Coons warned that overhauling the patent system because of a “few bad actors” would cause more uncertainty.

“We need to strike a balance and take a targeted approach that minimises litigation abuse, protects end users and empowers innovators.

“The fact of the matter is [is] that these two bills would be destructive to our innovation economy, and we’re working hard to ensure they won’t be treated lightly in either the House or the Senate,” he added.

Conyers said the Innovation Act helps “big businesses over small inventors and start-ups”.

“If Congress recklessly weakens our patent system by passing this bill, inventors’ very likelihoods will be threatened,” he added.

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