WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement as the Senate Judiciary and Small Business Committees hold hearings this week to discuss patent reform.
Earlier this year, Senator Coons introduced the STRONG Patents Act. More information on his bill can be found here: https://www.coons.senate.gov/issues/intellectual-property/strong-patents-act.
"Our economy depends on American innovators to turn their ideas into new companies and new jobs. Patents protect those jobs, but almost everyone agrees that America's patent system needs to be updated to stop abuse from patent trolls and help job-creating inventors. The problem is that too many advocates for patent reform believe the only way to stop those abusing the system is to weaken protections for inventors," said Senator Coons. "Weakening patents means weakening investments in research and making it harder for inventors to find the investment capital they need. America's patent system needs to work for all inventors, and it shouldn’t be carved up to benefit certain industries over others. Instead, we need a patent system that works for everyone, so Congress should have a real debate over the best way to fight against patent trolls while protecting the inventors our economy relies on. The reforms contained in the STRONG Patents Act strike the right balance and would improve the climate for America's inventors. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it passed into law."
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