The Patent Reform Act

Patent reform, which languished in the House subcommittee on IP in the last Congress, is now moving forward in both chambers. The two versions of the Patent Reform Act of 2007 reflect a repackaging of the House draft from the 109^th Congress. Largely due to political power shifts, Congress now expresses greater optimism that patent reform will occur. Such reform would be significant because Congress has not substantially amended patent law since 1952, and technology firms have argued that it is out of step with the kinds of innovation produced in an information economy. However, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries oppose many of the bill’s wide-ranging changes to patent law, arguing that the current system has underpinned the successful commercialization of innovative products.