Melvin Watt: “One of the few important accomplishments of the 112th Congress thus far has been the passage of the America Invents Act…”

“One of the few important accomplishments of the 112th Congress thus far has been the passage of the America Invents Act, a comprehensive reform of the United States patent system which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 16, 2011. There's little disagreement that patent reform was long overdue, and even those who voted against the bill recognized how important it was to the American inventor and to American innovation to update and streamline the patent system. Our country has always respected and admired inventors. As young children, we were taught about famous inventors such as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, and many others. Frequently overlooked in the discussion of important inventors, however, have been the accomplishments of African American inventors. Until this year's publication of the children's book, ``What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors'' by basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, we've done little to teach children about the outstanding contributions African American inventors have made to innovation. I therefore would like to use this time during Black History Month to pay tribute to some of the many, many contributions African American inventors have made. I'm not the first Member of this body to take to the floor of the House to acknowledge the long legacy of inventiveness in the African American community.…”