Goodlatte and Eshoo Call on the Senate to Pass Innovation Act

Washington, D.C. — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Ranking Member Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) today sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) urging immediate Senate action on the bipartisan House-passed Innovation Act (H.R. 3309), which takes steps to combat the ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation.

The Innovation Act, which passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 325-91, is supported by the White House and a wide range of groups that include stakeholders from all areas of our economy representing businesses of all kinds from every corner of our country including independent inventors and innovators. 

Below are excerpts from the letter.  To view the signed letter, click here.

“In recent years we have seen an exponential increase in the use of weak or poorly granted patents by “patent trolls” to file numerous patent infringement lawsuits against American businesses with the hopes of securing a quick payday. This abuse of the patent system is not what our Founding Fathers provided for in our Constitution. At its core, abusive patent litigation is a drag on our economy and stifles innovation. Bad actors who abuse the patent system devalue American intellectual property and are a direct threat to American innovation.”

“This important bill [the Innovation Act] will help fuel the engine of American innovation and creativity, creating new jobs and growing our economy. Effective patent reform legislation requires the careful balance that was achieved in the Innovation Act.”

“We believe inaction is simply inexcusable. The time is now, and the Innovation Act has helped set a clear bipartisan road map toward eliminating the abuses of our patent system, discouraging frivolous patent litigation and keeping U.S. patent laws up to date. We believe that we can work together to improve our patent system and put our economy first.”