Press Release

Coalition for Patent Fairness Applauds House Passage of The Innovation Act of 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 5, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The following can be attributed to Matthew Tanielian, executive director of the Coalition for Patent Fairness:

The Coalition for Patent Fairness thanks the broad, bipartisan group of House lawmakers who came together today in support of innovation and America’s businesses to pass H.R. 3309, The Innovation Act, with a remarkable 325-91 vote. The expediency with which this bill has moved through the House demonstrates the extreme need for America’s businesses to receive relief from the burdens imposed by patent trolls.

The patent reform bill approved today by the House has the overwhelming support of a broad cross-section of America’s economy, including businesses, consumers, inventors, investors, and patent holders. Patent trolls take billions of dollars each year from hotels, coffee shops, Realtors, retailers, public transit agencies and dozens of other American industries. And ultimately, it is workers and consumers who pay the bill for abuse of the broken patent litigation system. The Innovation Act will take important steps to discourage abusive behavior and to provide productive businesses with the tools they need to defend themselves against attacks. This is essential relief throughout America’s economy.

House leaders from both parties should be commended for working together in a remarkable show of bipartisanship to put the interests of consumers, innovation and the economy before all. Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Representatives Howard Coble, Zoe Lofgren, and Peter DeFazio worked tirelessly to make this victory a reality.

Now the effort moves to the Senate, where Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy and Senator Mike Lee have also introduced patent reform legislation. The strong bipartisan vote today in the House of Representatives sends a very clear signal to the Senate that patent reform is a bipartisan priority, and one of the few major economic initiatives that Congress can pass this session. Importantly, with the White House this week announcing its support for The Innovation Act, we are confident that now is the time to make comprehensive patent reform a reality.

We again thank Chairman Goodlatte for his strong and effective leadership on this issue, along with so many members of the House who took a powerful stand against patent trolls. The fight is not yet over, but this vote provides significant momentum. We look forward to working with the Senate to advance this essential legislation.

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The Coalition for Patent Fairness is a diverse group of companies and industry associations dedicated to enhancing U.S. innovation, job creation, and competitiveness in the global market by modernizing and strengthening our nation’s patent system.

Contact: Kaitlyn Buss, [email protected]

For more information, visit http://www.patentfairness.org.