Political Quotes

“I rise to address my concerns with this bill, H.R. 1886, which would alter the current process for third parties in a patent reexamination request. As the chairman of the Committee on Small Business, I have concerns that small inventors may be hurt under the proposed process allowed under this bill. I am grateful to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) of the Committee on the Judiciary and to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble). The gentleman from Wisconsin met with me today, albeit at the 11th hour, to discuss my concerns. He very graciously agreed to hold a hearing this year on how the bill may affect the interests of the small inventor. The chairman and the chairman of the subcommittee are extremely fair people. They are very reasonable. They are the first ones that want to make sure that this bill would do no harm to the small inventor. I appreciate their concern on it. But I would like to put into the Record as I see it how the small inventor may be hurt. Patents are intellectual property rights. Patents allow inventors to keep others from using for monetary gain inventions they have created. The reexamination process brings a patent back through the process, essentially opening up the procedures that bring about a patent. Third-party reexamination allows any party, an individual, a company, or even a foreign Nation, the ability to officially request a reexam of a patent in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.”