WASHINGTON – In advance of tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the PATENT Act, U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) announced that he has co-sponsored the STRONG Patents Act, competing patent reform legislation introduced by Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.). The STRONG Patents Act is also co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
Read more about the STRONG Patents Act here: https://www.coons.senate.gov/issues/intellectual-property/strong-patents-act.
“Supporting American inventors is not a partisan issue. We must work together to stop abuse within the patent system and protect American innovators who create new technologies, find new cures for diseases, and help drive the American economy,” said Senator Coons, author of the STRONG Patents Act. “I welcome Senator Vitter’s support for the STRONG Patents Act, and together, we’ll continue working toward smart, balanced reforms that stop ‘patent trolls’ while promoting a robust innovation economy that creates jobs and moves our country forward.”
“Undertaking extensive patent reform could hurt the very communities patents are meant to protect – innovators, small businesses, and job creators,” Senator Vitter said. “Rather than a blanket overhaul of our patent system that would cause more uncertainty, this legislation will take a targeted approach in a way that minimizes litigation abuse, protects end users, and empowers innovators at the heart of our economy.”
The STRONG Patents Act is also supported by the National Venture Capital Association, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the Innovation Alliance, the U.S. Business and Industry Council, and IEEE-USA.
Read Senator Coons’ statement about the PATENT Act offered by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) here: http://www.coons.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-coons-statement-on-the-patent-act
###
