patent reform News

Regulator Says U.S. Should Review Practices of ‘Patent Trolls’

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 …

Congress Looking to Rein In ‘Patent Trolls’

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 …

New Patent Reform Law Aims to Reduce Backlog, Curb Lawsuits

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 …

Pending Patent Reform May Not Bring Much Lawsuit Relief

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 …

House Approves Patent Reform Bill Similar to Senate’s

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 …

Senate Passes Patent Reform, 95-5

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 …

Senate Amends Patent Reform Bill, Vote Could Come This Week

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 …

Congress Trying Again on Patent Reform

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 …