For a copy of the letter click here

Innovation Alliance Joins Array of National Interests Expressing Concern With Four Controversial Provisions of S. 1145/H.R. 1908

Washington DC – A letter was delivered to key members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees expressing the united opposition of more than 200 national organizations and businesses to three of the most problematic elements of the Patent Reform Act of 2007.  In addition to the Innovation Alliance, signers of the letter include the Association of University Technology Managers, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, CropLife America, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, the NanoBusiness Alliance, the Small Business Exporters Association of the United States, the Small Business Technology Council and the Center for Small Business and the Environment.  In addition, the letter carries the endorsement of a wide array of small and large businesses from across the country, venture capital firms, and multiple universities, including the University of California System, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the North Carolina State University System, Cornell University, North Dakota State University, University of Maryland, University of New Hampshire, University of Utah, and Vanderbilt University and Medical Center.

The letter states that the Patent Reform Act will “hinder innovation across the diverse sectors of the American economy we represent, including academia, agriculture, alternative energy, biotechnology, chemicals, electronics, environmental technology, financial services, information technology, life sciences, manufacturing, nanotechnology, and telecommunications.”  The letter then states three shared areas of concern and recommends striking the Act’s provisions most likely to damage the innovation economy:

• Language pertaining to the apportionment of damages;
• The creation of an open-ended post-grant review process;
• The granting of unprecedented rulemaking authority for the Patent and Trademark Office.

Additionally, the letter calls for modifications to provisions in the bill that would establish a first-to-file system of priority.

Eric Thomas, a spokesman for the Innovation Alliance commented on the letter, saying, “We want the most effective patent system for our country.  As currently written, this legislation does not accomplish this goal.  The wide array of companies and organizations that have signed this letter indicates the very real erosion in our nation’s innovation leadership that would result from the enactment of the bill as it is today.  We believe the changes outlined in our letter will help make the bill more effective and balanced for all industries.”

The Innovation Alliance is a coalition of entrepreneurial companies seeking to enhance America’s innovation environment by improving the quality of patents granted and protecting the integrity of the U.S. patent system.  To learn more, visit www.innovationalliance.net.

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