Tom Latham: “I stand in support of H.R. 1561. The legislation is the culmination of years of hard work between the appropriators and…”

“I stand in support of H.R. 1561. The legislation is the culmination of years of hard work between the appropriators and the members of the Judiciary Committee. It allows the appropriators to retain oversight of the Patent and Trademark Office, while permanently ending the practice of diverting fees paid by users of the Patent and Trademark Office. In the past, these fees were used for unrelated government programs. I am pleased because these fees will specifically go to improving patent quality, reducing the time it takes to examine a patent and increasing efficiency of the Patent and Trademark Office in total. These are the goals of the 21st Century Strategic Plan that was developed by the Patent Office and reviewed by the Congress. Finally and most importantly this bill ensures that companies can and will continue to have opportunities to innovate and remain competitive in this global economy.”