US companies unite to form pro-IP lobby group

A group of US companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Ford and Pfizer, have formed a group to address moves they believe could damage the US IP system.

The Partnership for American Innovation, which announced its formation on April 3, has drafted in former US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) director David Kappos as its senior advisor.

It is made up of a group of companies across a range of different industries, also counting IBM and GE among its members.

“Together, these companies invest more than $40 billion every year in research and development and depend on the patent system to safeguard those investments,” the group said.

Last December, the Innovation Act, a bill called the Innovation Act aimed at clamping down on the number of frivolous lawsuits brought by non-practising entities (NPEs), sometimes known as “patent trolls”, was passed by the US House of Representatives.

However, Kappos said the country must move beyond rhetoric that “the [patent] system is broken and trolls are bringing businesses to a complete halt”.

By contrast, the group wants to see the USPTO properly funded, so that only “high-quality” patents are issued.

“As director of the USPTO, I saw first-hand the significant role the patent system plays in encouraging inventors, promoting investment in innovation, and creating jobs,” said Kappos. “Now is not the time to gamble with America’s innovation engine—once patent protections are eliminated, they cannot be restored.”

He added: “It is in our country’s best interest to have a patent system that rises above short-term interests, and creates long-term gains for all sectors of the economy.”