June 21, 2013
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission should gather information about the business practices of “patent assertion entities,” known as patent trolls, to see whether they are hurting competition, the head of the commission said on Thursday. Patent trolls are companies that …
July 19, 2012
A relatively obscure government agency at the center of a high stakes battle between the companies that make smartphones – Apple, Samsung Electronics, HTC and others – could well be headed for big changes. The International Trade Commission, which was …
September 19, 2011
President Barack Obama signed into law a patent overhaul bill Friday that backers say will curb frivolous lawsuits and help the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office do the hiring needed to clear a huge backlog of applications. Obama said the …
August 29, 2011
U.S. Congress is tantalizingly close to passing patent reform that President Barack Obama has hailed as an economic booster, but the legislation is expected to do little to divert money away from patent litigation and toward innovation. The Senate will …
June 24, 2011
Patent legislation that aims to clear a years-long backlog of applications and allows the patent office set its own fees was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. Supporters say the bill will help the patent office hire …
March 10, 2011
The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to overhaul U.S. patent laws, backing a measure aimed at chipping away at a huge backlog of patent applications and offering cheaper alternatives to litigation. In a 95-5 vote, the Senate approved on Tuesday the …
March 2, 2011
The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to strip controversial provisions out of a bipartisan bill to revamp the U.S. patent system and clear a years long backlog of patent applications. The vote was 97 in favor and two opposed. Senators Patrick …
February 3, 2011
Senior U.S. lawmakers are once again planning to reform the patent system to try to eliminate huge damage awards, an issue ripe for legislation after recent court decisions challenged calculation methods. Patent reform, in one form or another, has been …