Public Interest Groups Praise Bipartisan Push Toward Patent Reform

Several public interest groups said they were pleased with the bipartisan support for patent reform legislation moving in committees in both the U.S. House and Senate. During a panel Wednesday held by Public Knowledge, representatives from groups pushing for increased consumer protection from patent litigation said the support for litigation protection is across the board. "[There] couldn't be more support for this," said Chris Armstrong, director of Small Business Majority-partnership and government affairs. Armstrong also said his company's research showed most individuals polled support increased restrictions on patent trolls and patent litigation. Charles Duan, director of the Public Knowledge Patent Reform Project, said patent litigation and patent demand letters have had a significant impact on the small-business sector, especially in the area of investor confidence. Duan referred to research that he said showed 75 percent of venture capital firms would be less inclined to invest in a business that has been sent a patent demand letter or threatened by a patent assertion entity (PAE). Duan also said consumers of certain products, particularly from the tech and communications sector, also are being affected by patents trolls and PAEs. As the Senate Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act and the House Innovation Act -- which are both targeted primarily at reducing lawsuits and threats issued by PAEs and increasing consumer security -- work their way through their respective chambers, Duan, Armstrong and other public interest group representatives said open dialogue with those affected by the patent suits and advocacy should continue to help members of Congress find the best ways to resolve many of the issues allegedly caused by increased patent litigation.