The America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) promised patent owners and innovators a pathway to faster, fairer, and cheaper resolution of patent disputes. Unfortunately, loopholes and court decisions have forced patent owners into repetitive litigation, parallel challenges at the courts, and the new administrative proceedings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), without the same procedural protections that are due to patents as recognized property rights.
Our founding fathers gave Congress the responsibility to promote a strong intellectual property system (IP) and secure the rights of creators. Our alliance members--the true inventors and entrepreneurs contributing to our premier innovation economy--are depending on Congress to uphold this responsibility. USIJ encourages federal policymakers to reform the U.S. patent system so it serves those it was designed to protect. It is time to return to first principles and advance policy that recognizes the unique needs of startups, entrepreneurs, and inventors by guaranteeing strong and enforceable patents.
It is critical that Congress restores faith in our patent system, reclaiming its role as the global gold standard. We therefore support current efforts in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to advance the STRONGER Patents Act (S. 1390/H.R. 5340). This legislation would enact timely reforms to strengthen our patent system by better protecting the property rights of patent owners, strengthening the process for getting rid of bad patents, and reducing abusive and frivolous litigation. A complete summary of this legislation can be found here.