Senator Coons' statement on the PATENT Act

Statement

U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), author of the STRONG Patents Act, released the following statement regarding the PATENT Act.

"Innovation is the foundation of America's economic growth, and fixing our patent system is critical to supporting American innovators and inventors. Congress must address abuse in the patent system, but broad changes that undermine the ability of inventors to enforce their patent rights present serious concerns for our innovation economy.

"Proposals that create new barriers to the legitimate enforcement of patent rights favor large businesses over small ones, and foreign entities over domestic manufacturers. Greater fee-shifting, prolonged discovery, and new complaint forms will increase litigation costs, not decrease them, just as they will reduce the value of American inventions and the valid enforcement of patent rights. One thing these reforms will not do is alleviate the scourge of abusive demand letters sent to small businesses across the country. Ending abusive demand letters and raising the pleading standard for patent plaintiffs to match all other civil litigation -- as proposed in the STRONG Patents Act -- will address the legitimate concerns of end-users while maintaining our vibrant and diverse innovation economy.

"I am disappointed to see that the PATENT Act lacks any support for patent-holders facing well-documented abuse in post-grant proceedings. I look forward reviewing the details of the PATENT Act and working with my colleagues to ensure that we end the abuse that is actively undermining our nation's ability to invest in high-risk ventures and break new ground in our fights against diseases from Alzheimer's to Multiple Sclerosis."

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