Patent Reform in 2008?

Information Today, Vol. 25, No. 3, p. 17, March 2008

3 Pages Posted: 15 Jul 2010

Date Written: March 1, 2008

Abstract

The possibility of the most significant restructuring of patent law in 56 years is growing increasingly likely. In January 2008, the Senate Judiciary Committee released a draft report on the Senate’s patent reform proposal, Senate bill 1145. The draft report, described by one commentator as “comprehensive and methodical”, sets the stage for final committee approval and debate on the Senate proposal later this spring.

The current Patent Act was last substantially revised in 1952. While there have been a number of amendments and modifications over the last 55 years, it has become clear that U.S. patent law has struggled to keep up with the challenges of a technological and global marketplace. The number of patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has increased dramatically over the last twenty years. This increase has been largely attributed to the growth of technology and the rise of the “business methods” patents. However, this has also raised questions as to whether patents are granted too readily or the standards for obtaining a patent are too low.

Keywords: patents, patent law, patent lawsuits, patent reform, first to file, first to invent, infringement, legislation, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, international patent law, Internet, technology, market effect

Suggested Citation

Pike, George H., Patent Reform in 2008? (March 1, 2008). Information Today, Vol. 25, No. 3, p. 17, March 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1640143

George H. Pike (Contact Author)

Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law ( email )

375 E. Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611
United States
312-503-0295 (Phone)
312-503-9230 (Fax)

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