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Chairman Goodlatte: Hard-working Americans are some of the leading victims of frivolous lawsuits and the extraordinary costs that our legal system imposes.  Everyday local business owners routinely have lawsuits filed against them based on claims they have no substantive connection to, as a means of forum shopping on the part of the lawyers filing the case. These lawsuits impose a tremendous burden on small businesses and their employees.

Washington, D.C—House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), and the bill’s sponsor and House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) released the following statements upon House Judiciary Committee approval of the Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015 (H.R.

Washington, D.C—House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Constitution and Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), and the bill’s sponsor and House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) released the following statements upon House Judiciary Committee approval of the Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act of 2015 (H.R.

Chairman Goodlatte: Today’s hearing will look at design protection to determine whether amendments should be made to the law to limit protection for component parts of automobiles. Chapter 16 of the Patent Act allows an inventor a design patent for any new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. However, the chief limitation on the patentability of designs is that they must be primarily ornamental in character. If the design is dictated by the performance of the article, then it is judged primarily functional and ineligible for design patent protection. Combined with the cost of patenting, this explains why some inventors, including car companies, have tr

Chairman Goodlatte: Today’s hearing will look at design protection to determine whether amendments should be made to the law to limit protection for component parts of automobiles. Chapter 16 of the Patent Act allows an inventor a design patent for any new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. However, the chief limitation on the patentability of designs is that they must be primarily ornamental in character. If the design is dictated by the performance of the article, then it is judged primarily functional and ineligible for design patent protection. Combined with the cost of patenting, this explains why some inventors, including car companies, have tr

Washington, D.C. – The House Judiciary Committee has announced its schedule for the week of February 1-5, 2016. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 210:00 a.m. | Full CommitteeClassified Hearing on: FISA Amendments Act *This hearing is for Members only. Witnesses:

• Mr. Robert S. Litt, General Counsel, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
• Mr. Jon Darby, Deputy Director for Analysis and Production, Signals Intelligence Directorate, National Security Agency
• Mr. Stuart J.

Washington, D.C.  – On Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Another Surge of Illegal Immigrants Along the Southwest Border: Is this the Obama Administration’s New Normal?” At the hearing, members will examine the swell of unaccompanied alien minors and family units crossing the southwest border and the Administration’s lack of vetting of unaccompanied children’s sponsors in the U.S. Recent statistics from the Border Patrol indicate a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied alien minors and family u

Washington, D.C.  – On Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 9:00 a.m., the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Another Surge of Illegal Immigrants Along the Southwest Border: Is this the Obama Administration’s New Normal?” At the hearing, members will examine the swell of unaccompanied alien minors and family units crossing the southwest border and the Administration’s lack of vetting of unaccompanied children’s sponsors in the U.S. Recent statistics from the Border Patrol indicate a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied alien minors and family u