Update: Patent Reform Progresses In The 112th Congress

With mounting patent application backlogs, currently numbering over 700,000, and numerous government agencies consistently reporting on the need for reform, overhaul of the patent system has been a bipartisan priority in Congress and a key area of focus for several sectors of American industry over the last several years. The 112th Congress is no different, and it appears momentum may be building to enact patent reform in 2011.

Last Thursday, April 14, the House Judiciary Committee worked through mark ups to its version of the "America Invents Act," which was introduced in the House on March 30 as H.R. 1249. The Manager's Amendment circulated by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R) on April 12, 2011, as well as other amendments proposed by members of that committee, were the focus of the April 14 committee mark up and are reflected in this alert. Given the current focus on budget, spending, and deficit reduction in the House, it is unclear when the full Chamber