Category: Patent Legislation

    By Donald Zuhn — In a letter sent to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) earlier today, Representatives Mike Michaud (D-ME), Don Manzullo (R-IL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) urged the House leaders to "remember the importance of…

    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…

    By Kevin E. Noonan — Until now, the major bones of contention over the Senate's patent "reform" bill (S. 515) have centered around two provisions:  putting in place statutory language governing how damages are to be assessed, and instituting a post-grant review system modeled on the European opposition, and that will be more extensive…

    By Donald Zuhn — On Saturday, in response to an Op-Ed piece published in The New York Times two weeks ago ("Inventing a Better Patent System"), the Times published five letters, including one from patent reform's biggest proponent, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee ("A Fresh Look at Patents…

    By Kevin E. Noonan — Just when you thought . . . it was safe to ignore patent reform, and fresh off a concerted push from the new Commerce Secretary, the new Patent and Trademark Office Director, and the new Deputy Director for patent reform that includes fee setting and substantive rulemaking authority, a…

    By Kevin E. Noonan — Tuesday was Sharon Barner's first day as Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and she spent part of it addressing members of the patent bar in Chicago.  In a 90-minute roundtable meeting, Ms. Barner and Commerce Department General Counsel Cameron Kerry discussed patent reform and the…

    By Kevin E. Noonan — Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (at right) has written a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee giving qualified support to S. 515, the patent "reform" bill voted out of committee months ago but languishing in the wake of more pressing health care reform legislation.  Unfortunately, upon close reading, the Secretary's…

    By Donald Zuhn — On Monday, a group of 56 companies sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke (below) urging the Secretary "to push for improvements" to the post-grant and inter partes examination provisions of patent reform legislation currently before Congress.  The Seattle PI's Microsoft blog published a copy of the letter…