Tomorrow is World Intellectual Property Day. To commemorate the day, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy issued a statement today in support of fighting patent trolls, improving patent quality, protecting end-users and ensuring better transparency in real party in interest. The relevant part of the statement reads:
There is more Congress can do to improve the patent system and address the problem of patent trolling, by increasing transparency and accountability. I intend to work in a bipartisan and bicameral manner on legislation that will ensure the real party in interest of a patent is disclosed, protect unknowing and innocent purchasers of allegedly infringing products from unwarranted suits, and continue to improve patent quality, and we will explore other means to make trolling activity unprofitable.
This is an important development – with House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte already beginning work on combating patent trolls, this guarantees a bipartisan, bicameral patent fix process is in the works. That does not mean we will see new law in 2013, or even 2014. However, it does mean all the pieces are now moving forward, which is a positive sign.