AIPR Reiterates Opposition to Patent Reform Legislation

    By Donald Zuhn --

On Tuesday, the American Innovators for Patent Reform (AIPR) announced that it was joining with the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation in opposing patent reform legislation currently before Congress.  The AIPR specifically opposes the inclusion of apportionment of damages, post-grant opposition, and first-to-file provisions in any patent reform bill that might make its way to the Senate or House floor for a vote.  Last fall, the AIPR had issued a statement regarding its opposition to the post-grant review provision in particular.

In December, the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration stating its opposition to the first-to-file, post-grant review, and USPTO rulemaking provisions in pending patent reform legislation (see "Patent Reform Efforts Opposed by Small Business Group").  Only a few weeks earlier, in a letter to The New York Times, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asserted that "[w]e need to create the legal landscape that allows our innovators to flourish in the new economy, and we need to do it now" (see "Senator Leahy: 'Time Is Now' for Patent Reform").  Senator Leahy added that "Congress should not let the controversial issue of how damages are calculated bog down needed reforms," and noted that with regard to patent reform, Congress "will make this happen, and America will invent its way back to prosperity."

In the AIPR release, the group's founder and President Alexander Poltorak noted that while Congress had been consumed by the health care reform debate for most of the past year, and both the Senate (S. 515) and House (H.R. 1260) patent reform bills had been put on hold, "there is no doubt that Congress will again address the Patent Reform Act in 2010, and those who believe that only strong U.S. patents will insure and protect American innovation must stand united in opposition to this ill-conceived legislation!"  Referring to the letter sent by the the Small Business Coalition last month, Dr. Poltorak applauded the group for its efforts "in getting the voice of small business -- traditionally the largest source of new job creation and new technologies -- heard in the halls of Government."

According to the AIPR website, the group represents a broad constituency of American innovators and innovation stakeholders, including inventors, engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, patent owners, investors, small businesses, and intellectual property professionals such as patent attorneys, patent agents, tech transfer managers, and licensing executives.

Comments

[staff]

Senator Leahy added that "Congress should not let the controversial issue of how damages are calculated bog down needed reforms," and noted that with regard to patent reform, Congress "will make this happen, and America will invent its way back to prosperity."

What a sham!

Patent reform is a fraud on America.
Please see http://truereform.piausa.org/ for a different/opposing view on patent reform.

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