Andrea Joy Campbell: “Why are we messing with the U.S. patent system? Why are we messing with it? We saw the chart of my colleague from…”

“Why are we messing with the U.S. patent system? Why are we messing with it? We saw the chart of my colleague from California, Mr. Hunter. We have Nobel prize winners. We have technology advancement second to none in the world. Why are we messing with it? Do my colleagues not think we should have a good reason before we change such a system as this that has produced such success for our country? What answers have we heard today? We have heard one, submarine patents. This is what the Congressional Research Service says about the Rohrabacher substitute and House Resolution 400. It says the patent disclosure provisions of the Rohrabacher substitute, House Resolution 811, should substantially curtail the practice of submarine patenting. Both bills seek to curtail submarine patenting and would likely end the practice. That is on pages 12 and 13 of the CRS report. Let me repeat that. Both bills seek to curtail submarine patenting and would likely end the practice. If we are messing with the U.S. patent system because of the abuse of the submarine patent, for heaven sakes, let us not go as broad and do the additional damage as House Resolution 400 would do when we can solve it with a much narrower solution, which is in the Rohrabacher substitute.”