Rep. Doug Collins Applauds Georgia Patent Program for Small Business

Statement

Congressman Doug Collins (GA09), Vice Chair of the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, released the following statement in support of Georgia PATENTS, a group of volunteer lawyers donating their time to protect the intellectual property rights of Georgia's small inventors, who might not have the resources to do it themselves:

Because the Founders knew the value of invention to jobs and opportunity, as well as to our health and safety, our Constitution endows Congress with the "power… to promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing for limited times authors and inventors exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."

Georgia PATENTS, a program of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, is helping to fulfill the Founders' vision of a vibrant market for ideas, making sure that our state's non-profits and small businesses benefit from the same strong protections as leading companies.

In 2010, patents supported nearly 40 million U.S. jobs, 27.7% of all jobs in the country. Patent-intensive industries accounted for 34.8% of GDP. Those numbers are even higher today, demonstrating the benefit of patents to our modern 21st Century economy.

Georgia's independent inventors are making major contributions but often to do not enjoy the fruits of their labor, due to lack of experience with complex rules. Georgia PATENTS is changing that, providing underfunded start-ups with pro-bono legal services in order to level the playing field.

Each of us deserves the opportunity to pursue the American dream. In Congress, I'm doing everything in my power to clear the path of roadblocks, promoting bipartisan patent reform. I'm especially grateful for my partners at Georgia PATENTS, which I expect to be a successful example of a U.S. Patent and Trade Office initiative that Congress created to improve intellectual property rights.

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