The only thing standing in the way of patent reform is the United States Senate.
The House passed the Innovation Act in December with a bipartisan 325-91 vote. President Obama has said he'll sign the bill and asked Congress during his State of the Union to "pass a patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation, not costly and needless litigation."
It's now up to the Senate to help put an end to costly, destructive patent troll litigation and threats. And they need to hear from you: you the inventor, you the entrepreneur, you the investor, and especially you the concerned individual.
Sign this letter urging the Senate to pass meaningful, comprehensive patent reform.
The most prominent bill in the Senate right now is Sen. Leahy's Patent Transparency and Improvements Act. The bill is a great first step, but it is by no means as comprehensive as the Innovation Act. (And both bills could be even stronger.) We're hoping the Senate factors in proposals to address patent quality (like in S. 866, Sen. Schumer's Patent Quality Improvement Act) as well as includes heightened pleading and fee-shifting language (like in S. 1013, Sen. Cornyn's Patent Abuse Reduction Act). All of these pieces together go a long way toward a patent reform bill that will help fix many of the system's problems.
As we continue to hear about case after case and demand letter after demand letter, it is obvious that innovative businesses and individuals are getting hit everyday—and just how necessary meaningful patent reform really is.
Let your voice be heard. Show the Senate your support for reform today. And stay tuned for more actions to come.
