Patent Reform Act of 2011 Sparks Concern

IEEE-USA is one of a handful of groups opposing a draft patent reform bill moving through Congress, saying the legislation will disadvantage small and startup companies. The Patent Reform Act of 2011 has passed the Senate (S. 23) and is now in the House of Representatives (H.R. 1249). “We fear that both place small companies and individual inventors at a profound disadvantage with respect to large corporate inventors,” Russell Harrison, IEEE USA’s Senior Legislative Representative for Grassroots Activities, wrote in an email Tuesday to IEEE members. The bill includes requirements about new fees, post-grant review and a “first-inventor-to-file” standard.Learn more about IEEE’s concerns.Read the Patent Reform Act of 2011.