Goodlatte Releases Statement on White House Patent Troll Proposal

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today issued this statement following the White House’s release of reforms to combat abusive patent litigation.

Chairman Goodlatte: “I welcome the Administration’s proposals to combat the growing problem of abusive patent litigation and specifically patent trolls. Patent trolls have a significant impact on American competitiveness, costing our economy billions of dollars each year. Today’s announcement from the White House is a good indicator that momentum is building behind efforts to enact meaningful legislation to address abusive patent litigation, which strikes at the very heart of American innovation and jobs.

“Recently, I released a patent discussion draft designed to address the issues that businesses of all sizes and industries face from patent troll-type behavior and that aims to correct the current asymmetries surrounding abusive patent litigation.  I look forward to working with Senate Judiciary Chairman Leahy, the Administration, and all the stakeholders involved on this very important issue.”

Background: On May 23, 2013, Chairman Goodlatte released a discussion draft of legislation designed to address abusive patent litigation.  The discussion draft is the product of much work and numerous hearings, spanning multiple Congresses.  A copy of the summary can be found here and a copy of the discussion draft can be found here.