On the recordFebruary 28, 2011
I should express my gratitude to those others who have helped so much on this and, quite frankly, more involved on this bill than I have been, including Chairman Leahy, Senator Hatch, Senator Sessions, and Senator Kyl. This is a bipartisan bill. Over the past 5 years or so, the Senate Judiciary Committee has been considering comprehensive patent reform. Chairman Leahy has engaged Senators on both sides of the aisle as well as a wide range of groups on the outside. His efforts have been pivotal in bringing together diverse views and crafting a reasonable compromise bill. In fact, the bill is supported by a large number of industries and other stakeholders from the U.S. patent community. I commend the leadership of Chairman Leahy as well as the leadership of Senator Hatch for getting us to where we are at this point. Intellectual property rights are extremely important to our Nation's economy. An effective and efficient patent system will help promote innovation and technological advancement in America and make life better for us all.
