Patent Law Practice Center

Key Republicans on Patent Reform in 114th Congress

Over the last several days on IPWatchdog.com, we have published articles introducing the Republicans serving on the House IP Subcommittee and the Republicans serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the coming days, we will publish similar profiles of the Democrats.

Today, we focus on four key players on the Republican side of the aisle that will influence any patent reform efforts – Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Each of the aforementioned Members of Congress are on record supporting patent reform of some kind during the 114th Congress.

Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

The primary subcommittee dealing with intellectual property matters in the House of Representatives is the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, which is a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. This means that Congressman Bob Goodlatte will have an extremely important role with respect to shepherding any intellectual property legislation through Congress over the next two years. Goodlatte has signaled that he will focus his own energies on copyright reform, deciding to keep any copyright reforms the purview of the entire Judiciary Committee. Still, Goodlatte has shown keen interest in the patent system over the years, including the most recently failed patent reform legislation during the 113th Congress. You can rest assured he will be heavily engaged in the 114th Congress.

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Patent Reform Update: Yays and Nays to Senate Passing America Invents Act

On Tuesday, the Senate voted 95-5 to pass the America Invents Act aka the Patent Reform Act.  According to the three main sponsors of the bill, senators Pat Leahy (D-VT), Charles Grassley (R-IA), and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the main objective of this legislation is to eliminate the backlog of unexamined patents. Whether the amended S. 23 bill will accomplish that goal remains to be seen.  Will the House approve patent reform, either along the lines of the amended S.23 or something close to it is also questionable?  Here is what the blogosphere has to say about the America Invents Act and whether or not the House is likely to approve patent reform….

1.  Senate Passes Patent Overhaul In 95-5 Vote (Law 360)

2.   Senate Passes Bill to Change Patent System and Pricing (New York Times)

3.  Patent Reform Passed in Senate: House Likely to Introduce Bill this Month (PatentlyO)

4.  Leahy patent bill: Litigation, not innovation (via The Hill)

5.  Patent Reform Act clears the Senate (The Hill)

6.  Patent Reform Likely to Benefit Industry Giants More Than Start-Ups (GEN)

7.  Pharma and bio sectors applaud US patent reform (PharmaTimes)