Just as the US Senate is preparing its own legislation on patent trolls, the House on Thursday passed its version of the legislation.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) issued the following comment Thursday after the House passed it bill to combat patent troll abuse:
‘I commend the House for taking action to address the growing problem of patent trolls. Supporting American innovators and protecting those who are being targeted by patent trolls is a bipartisan priority. Targeted reforms should address abuses in the system while ensuring that legitimate inventors can continue to succeed and grow our economy. I look forward to working through the Committee process in the Senate to achieve this goal.’The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing this month to examine pending patent troll legislation, Chairman Patrick Leahy announced earlier Thursday.
The Senate hearing, titled ‘Protecting Small Businesses and Promoting Innovation by Limiting Patent Troll Abuse,’ comes just weeks after Leahy and Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Patent Transparency and Improvements Act of 2013. The bipartisan bill aims to protect businesses and innovators who are being improperly targeted by patent trolls. Witnesses at the December 17th hearing will provide testimony on the Leahy-Lee bill and other proposals before the Judiciary Committee.
‘America’s patent system is the envy of the world and an engine for job creation,’ Leahy said. ‘Supporting American innovators and protecting those who are being targeted by patent trolls is a bipartisan priority. ‘ I look forward to hearing testimony on this important issue and working to pass meaningful legislation this Congress.’
The hearing will be held on Tuesday, December 17, at 10 am in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.’ Member statements, witness testimony, and a live webcast will be available online on December 17.’
Meanwhile, Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) went to the House floor Thursday morning and gave his strong support for legislation being considered that would curb the abuse of the patent system by so-called ‘patent trolls’ who threaten businesses and non-profits with frivolous lawsuits.
Welch said: ‘Can you imagine what it’s like for a small non-profit doing good work to get a letter that is essentially a stick up’¦ and what these businesses and non-profits then have to decide is, do they pay the bounty or do they fight.’
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NOTICE OF COMMITTEE HEARING’
The Senate Committee on the Judiciary has scheduled a hearing entitled ‘Protecting Small Businesses and Promoting Innovation by Limiting Patent Troll Abuse’ for Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
WASHINGTON (Thursday, December 5, 2013) ‘ Leahy's office.