Yesterday, July 10, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH) reintroduced the STRONGER Patents Act of 2019.
Coons and Stivers were joined by Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL), Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and representatives from the National Small Business Association, Dolby Laboratories, the Association of American Universities, Biotechnology Innovation Organization and the Inventor’s Project.
Like the STRONGER Patents Act of 2015 and 2017, the latest iteration seeks to strengthen patent protections and promote American innovation.
During his opening remarks yesterday, Coons said, “Something is fundamentally wrong with a system that encourages patent infringers to avoid or delay negotiating with rights holders in good faith, and instead promotes costly litigation.”
He went on to explain that the STRONGER Patents Act of 2019 would restore a patent holder’s ability to receive an injunction after a patent has been proven both valid and infringed.
“Their focus should be on innovation, not defending themselves from abusive serial challenges to their patents at the PTAB,” said Coons. “The American Invents Act was designed to provide an efficient and affordable opportunity for the USPTO to have a second look at patent claims, not a 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th look at patent claims. Our bill would prevent these and other abusive and repetitive attacks.”
If enacted, this provision would return more exclusivity to the patent holder while acknowledging the irreparable damage caused by patent infringers who take advantage of the PTAB system through serial review.
The event on Capitol Hill was recorded and posted to U.S. Senator Coons’ Youtube Channel which can be viewed below:
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