Hank Johnson: “I rise in support of H.R. 1908, the Patent Reform Act of 2007. This area of the law has not been updated for 55 years…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 1908, the Patent Reform Act of 2007. This area of the law has not been updated for 55 years, yet patents touch upon so many different sectors, from agriculture to biotechnology to manufacturing and computer technology. In order to continue to stimulate growth and reward inventors in these various sectors, we in Congress are charged with finding the right balances between protecting inventions and stimulating innovation. Our Founding Fathers realized it was so important to protect inventions and promote innovation that they wrote that protection into our Constitution in article I, section 8. For more than half a century, the United States has led the world in research and innovation, partly due to the fact that the U.S. rewards its inventors and protects their ideas. But since the last update to our system over 55 years ago, technology has rapidly changed and has revolutionized our economy.”