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US President signs, seals and delivers US patent reform


US President Barack Obama signed the Leahy- Smith America Invents Act into law on September 16, making the most signifi cant reform of US patent law since 1836.


T e House of Representatives approved HR 1249, which has identical provisions to the America Invents Act, on June 23, and the US Senate voted in favour of reforming US patent law on September 8.


T e America Invents Act will move the US from a fi rst-to-invent patent system to a fi rst-to-fi le, bringing it in line with other major jurisdictions, aſt er March 16, 2013.


In a blog post announcing the passage of the America Invents Act into law, Quentin Palfrey, senior advisor to the Chief Technology Offi ce for Jobs & Competitiveness in the White House Offi ce of Science & Technology Policy, said: “T e new law...will harmonize the American patent process with the rest of the world to make it more effi cient and predictable, and make it easier for entrepreneurs to simultaneously market products in the United States and for exporting abroad.”


“[T is] marks the conclusion of a long and vigorous debate on how to best modernize our nation’s patent system,” said Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) president and chief executive offi cer Jim Greenwood on September 8, following the Senate’s approval of the act. “T e improvements made by the bill will benefi t all sectors of the national economy by enhancing patent quality and the effi ciency, objectivity, predictability and transparency of the U.S. patent system.”


Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president & deputy general counsel at Microsoſt , agreed in a blog post. He said that patent reforms will ensure that innovators can benefi t from a predictable and rational patent system, “with new tools to eliminate patents that should not have issued and to speed the processing of patents that should be issued”.


He added: “A fair, balanced and eff ective patent system is indispensable to promoting R&D investment, job creation, and economic growth.”


Fees


T e US Patent and Trademark Offi ce (USPTO) is now allowed to set its own fees, but the offi ce’s use of fees will be subject to a limit set by Congress. Any fees collected in excess of the amount that


6 World Intellectual Property Review November/December 2011 www.worldipreview.com


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