July 19, 2007
Contact:
Susan Mora 202/822-9491Senate Judiciary Committee Reports Patent Reform Bill That Threatens American Innovation
Innovation Alliance will press for substantive changes on the floor
Washington, D.C. - Following this evening's full Senate Judiciary Committee mark-up of The Patent Reform Act of 2007 (S.1145), the Innovation Alliance issued the following statement:
"As passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Patent Reform Act is still very problematic for the most innovative sector of America's economy - small technology companies. Though some progress was made on issues like PTO rulemaking authority and fee diversion, the bill will still erode, not strengthen, patent protections thereby dampening innovation and stifling entrepreneurship. As such, we are unable to support it in its current form."
"As passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Patent Reform Act is still very problematic for the most innovative sector of America's economy - small technology companies. Though some progress was made on issues like PTO rulemaking authority and fee diversion, the bill will still erode, not strengthen, patent protections thereby dampening innovation and stifling entrepreneurship. As such, we are unable to support it in its current form."
"Bi-partisan efforts to address some of the concerns raised by universities, venture capital, manufacturing, research, biotechnology, nanotechnology and emerging-tech companies illustrate the difficulty many Senators are having with this measure. In particular, we commend Senator Jon Kyl for his leadership in attempting to bridge the divisions among stakeholders over some of the bill's most controversial and problematic provisions concerning calculation of damages for patent infringement. We are encouraged that multiple other Committee members recognize that substantial modifications to the damages and other provisions are necessary before a final vote on the Senate floor.
"The Innovation Alliance will continue to work to ensure that any final patent reform measure approved by Congress does not pose a threat to America's ability to continue as the world's innovation leader."
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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