Edison Rotates in Grave
The patent reform meter jumped dramatically to the "passage" side when the House of Representatives approved (220-175) most of the key provisions in the proposed U.S. patent overhaul. (The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a similar bill.) The most earth-shaking change proposed in the new patent act: U.S. inventors will get patents based on who is "first to file," not who is "first to invent." One stumbling block--at least for White House signature--appears to be a provision apportioning damages in patent cases based on the "proportional components of a patent invention." High tech companies, consumer groups, and the finance industries support the reform; big pharma, biotech, and independent inventors oppose it.
To stay abreast of the changes to U.S. Patent law as they develop, be sure to visit the legal updates section of Nolo's website.
