Thank you Roger [Martin], for that kind introduction.  I would like to thank the Innovation Alliance for having me in today to speak with you about intellectual property’s vital role in today’s innovation economy.

America stands at a critical juncture in our economic evolution, and intellectual property will play a key role in driving our economic growth and renewal.

Re “Inventing a Better Patent System” (Op-Ed, Nov. 17):

Robert C. Pozen stresses the importance of reforming our nation’s patent system. He writes that “Congress shouldn’t make the best the enemy of the good.” We could not agree more.

From the letter:

As you're aware, H.R. 1260, "The Patent Reform Act of 2009" introduced last week, is essentially the same legislation with the same goals as the previous bill.  We believe, in addition to its substantive shortcomings, one of the reasons the previous legislation attracted so much opposition was due to the less than comprehensive vetting it received in committee.  H.R. 1260 is a 76 page bill dealine with a complex subject matter.  It is a challenge to understand how its provisions impact different industry segments. 

America’s strong patent and intellectual property system provides a strategic advantage in our country’s mission to remain the leader in global innovation. Unfortunately, so-called “patent reform” legislation introduced in the House and Senate yesterday would actually weaken intellectual property protections for American manufacturers and put hundreds of thousands more Americans on the unemployment lines.