Official Bill Info

• Latest Action: Mar 09, 2011 Held at the desk.

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• Committee Assignment: Senate Judiciary

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  This bill has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary committee.
This bill's most-recent vote occurred on March 08, 2011, with a roll call of 95 ayes, 5 nays, and 0 not voting.
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This bill's most-recent vote occurred on March 08, 2011, with a roll call of 95 ayes, 5 nays, and 0 not voting.

Bill Statistics on OpenCongress

Contribution Data

Supporting Organizations

• Texas Instruments

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• The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel

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• GlaxoSmithKline

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• ExxonMobil

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• 3M

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• Air Liquide

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• Air Products

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• American Intellectual Property Law Association

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• Association of University Technology Managers

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• Baxter Healthcare Corporation

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• Beckman Coulter

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• Boston Scientific

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• BP

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• Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.

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• Bristol-Myers Squibb

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• Cargill, Inc.

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• Caterpillar

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• CheckFree

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• Consumer Action

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• Cummins

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• Dow Chemical Company

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• DuPont

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• Eastman Chemical Company

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• Electronics for Imaging

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• General Mills

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• Genzyme

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• Henkel Corporation

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• Illinois Tool Works Inc.

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• International Association for Registered Financial Consultants

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• Medtronic

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• Merck

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• Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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• Milliken and Company

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• Motorola

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• Northrop Grumman

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• Novartis

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• Partnership for Philanthropic Planning

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• Patent Cafe.com, Inc.

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• PepsiCo, Inc.

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• Pfizer

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• Procter & Gamble

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• Public Interest Research Group

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• SanDisk Corporation

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• Tax Justice Network USA

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• United Technologies

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• USG Corporation

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• Weyerhaeuser

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• Zimmer

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• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

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• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

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• Biotechnology Industry Organization

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• General Electric

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• IBM

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• Microsoft

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Opposing Organizations

• Adobe Systems Incorporated

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• Christian Coalition

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• Computer & Communications Industry Association

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• Financial Services Roundtable

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• Generic Pharmaceutical Association

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• Gun Owners of America

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• Independent Community Bankers of America

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• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

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• National Small Business Association

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• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association

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• The Clearing House Association

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• The Clearing House Association, LLC

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• US Business and Industry Council

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• Verizon Communications

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• American Conservative Union

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• Apple

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• Cisco

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• Coalition for Patent Fairness

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• Dell

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• Eagle Forum

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• Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Convention

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Most-commented sections of the bill text

Highest Rated User Comments

• On February 01, 2011, by kevinmcc - Three supports of this bill with no text? How can you support an unknown bill? I will be tracking this bill, but not supporting until I have read the the text.

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  As noted by kevinmcc, a user on OpenCongress.org, on February 01, 2011, "Three supports of this bill with no text? How can you support an unknown bill? I will be tracking this bill, but not supporting until I have read the the text."
• On February 03, 2011, by SmilingAhab - The bill will allow the Patent office to grant a patent claim to the first "inventor" (which is redefined) which files, instead of an inventor with proof of invention. This means essentially that international corporations and the G3 will buy up scientists like bullets and ensure that as little indie innovation as possible occurs without corporate supervision. The mentions of capping damages for minor patent infringements may stop companies like Apple from patenting every last button on their newest toy and suing anyone they want, but it also means that if a massive corporation starts copying the crap out of indie innovation, there's no longer any way to punish the corporation for stepping on the inventor. This bill is more Republicrat fluff and should be ignored by anyone set on actual patent reform. This will be as effective in patent reform as the "financial reform" fluff bill will be in keeping Wall St. from pissing our country's wealth away on gambling.

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  As noted by SmilingAhab, a user on OpenCongress.org, on February 03, 2011, "The bill will allow the Patent office to grant a patent claim to the first "inventor" (which is redefined) which files, instead of an inventor with proof of invention. This means essentially that international corporations and the G3 will buy up scientists like bullets and ensure that as little indie innovation as possible occurs without corporate supervision. The mentions of capping damages for minor patent infringements may stop companies like Apple from patenting every last button on their newest toy and suing anyone they want, but it also means that if a massive corporation starts copying the crap out of indie innovation, there's no longer any way to punish the corporation for stepping on the inventor. This bill is more Republicrat fluff and should be ignored by anyone set on actual patent reform. This will be as effective in patent reform as the "financial reform" fluff bill will be in keeping Wall St. from pissing our country's wealth away on gambling. "
• On February 24, 2011, by spamiseveil666 - This act is troublesome. Looking at just the F2I section, here are a few problems: 1. Is an "offer to sell" no longer an act that causes problems? (Old statute uses "offer to sell" and new statute uses "on sale.") 2. "before the effective filing date of the claimed invention" - if you amend the claims, does that change the filing date? (Old statute used "filing date of the application.") 3. What does "available to the public" mean? Is confidentially seeking funding from an investor enough? 4. On the exceptions, what is a "disclosure"? Is it more or less than "printed publication, public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the pubic"? 5. Is (b)(1)(A) directed to confidential disclosures (in addition to public disclosures)? ((b)(1)(B) specifies "publicly disclosed.") 6. This may be a stretch, but . . . In most foreign countries, you can have confidential disclosures forever without losing patent rights. Could a confidential disclosure bar filing in the United States?

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  As noted by spamiseveil666, a user on OpenCongress.org, on February 24, 2011, "This act is troublesome. Looking at just the F2I section, here are a few problems: 1. Is an "offer to sell" no longer an act that causes problems? (Old statute uses "offer to sell" and new statute uses "on sale.") 2. "before the effective filing date of the claimed invention" - if you amend the claims, does that change the filing date? (Old statute used "filing date of the application.") 3. What does "available to the public" mean? Is confidentially seeking funding from an investor enough? 4. On the exceptions, what is a "disclosure"? Is it more or less than "printed publication, public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the pubic"? 5. Is (b)(1)(A) directed to confidential disclosures (in addition to public disclosures)? ((b)(1)(B) specifies "publicly disclosed.") 6. This may be a stretch, but . . . In most foreign countries, you can have confidential disclosures forever without losing patent rights. Could a confidential disclosure bar filing in the United States? "

Highly Rated Blog Articles

• INVENTORS BLOG: HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT ... - March 26, 2012 by noreply@blogger.com (InventorsBlog) - HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT FAIRNESS” USED S.23 TO GUT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN CORPORATE GREED. What EVERY product developer knows. BUT how Congress is clueless about this ...

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  As noted by noreply@blogger.com (InventorsBlog) on March 26, 2012, "HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT FAIRNESS” USED S.23 TO GUT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN CORPORATE GREED. What EVERY product developer knows. BUT how Congress is clueless about this ..." (/url?q=http://www.inventorsblog.org/2012/03/how-alliance-for-patent-fairness-used.html&sa=U&ei=o-V4T-uZK4au2AW1v-21Bg&ved=0CDkQmAEwBA&usg=AFQjCNGyuet0r3zW69DuF1GIocB9_d8pRw)
• INVENTORS BLOG: HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT ... - March 26, 2012 by noreply@blogger.com (InventorsBlog) - HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT FAIRNESS” USED S.23 TO GUT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN CORPORATE GREED. What EVERY product developer knows. BUT how Congress is clueless about this ...

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  As noted by noreply@blogger.com (InventorsBlog) on March 26, 2012, "HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT FAIRNESS” USED S.23 TO GUT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN CORPORATE GREED. What EVERY product developer knows. BUT how Congress is clueless about this ..." (/url?q=http://www.inventorsblog.org/2012/03/how-alliance-for-patent-fairness-used.html&sa=U&ei=9Jh3T6azF-KC2AW1nPW1Bg&ved=0CDkQmAEwBA&usg=AFQjCNFH_nE97mQ57IANgyFkwrex__e4Xw)
• INVENTORS BLOG: HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT ... - March 26, 2012 by noreply@blogger.com (InventorsBlog) - HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT FAIRNESS” USED S.23 TO GUT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN CORPORATE GREED. What EVERY product developer knows. BUT how Congress is clueless about this ...

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  As noted by noreply@blogger.com (InventorsBlog) on March 26, 2012, "HOW THE “ALLIANCE FOR PATENT FAIRNESS” USED S.23 TO GUT AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR OWN CORPORATE GREED. What EVERY product developer knows. BUT how Congress is clueless about this ..." (/url?q=http://www.inventorsblog.org/2012/03/how-alliance-for-patent-fairness-used.html&sa=U&ei=kEd2T5yHHKXs2QX10aiWDQ&ved=0CDkQmAEwBA&usg=AFQjCNGleOAXjgdDDi0Mry1BkSh6kUqd3w)

Highly Rated News Articles

• Price protest leaves six dead in Sudan's Darfur - July 31, 2012 by YAHOO! - Sudan has avoided an "Arab spring" like Egypt or Tunisia but discontent is growing with Bashir's 23-year rule. Until Tuesday, protests against the austerity measures had mostly petered out after a security crackdown and the start of the Muslim fasting ...

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  As noted by YAHOO! on July 31, 2012, "Sudan has avoided an "Arab spring" like Egypt or Tunisia but discontent is growing with Bashir's 23-year rule. Until Tuesday, protests against the austerity measures had mostly petered out after a security crackdown and the start of the Muslim fasting ..." (http://news.yahoo.com/price-protest-leaves-six-dead-sudans-darfur-194232779.html)
• U.S. 23 reopens after power line repairs - July 31, 2012 by Newark Advocate - CHILLICOTHE — U.S. 23 has reopened at Rozelle Creek Road after utility crews repaired power lines in the area, the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 9 office reported. Traffic was being diverted after a power pole snapped shortly ...

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  As noted by Newark Advocate on July 31, 2012, "CHILLICOTHE — U.S. 23 has reopened at Rozelle Creek Road after utility crews repaired power lines in the area, the Ohio Department of Transportation’s District 9 office reported. Traffic was being diverted after a power pole snapped shortly ..." (http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/B8/20120731/NEWS01/120731003/U-S-23-reopens-after-power-line-repairs?odyssey=mod_sectionstories)
• CSUy Contract Averts Strike - July 31, 2012 by NBC San Diego - The agreement must be ratified by the California Faculty Association and the Board of Trustees. The contract affects 23,000 professors, counselors and librarians at CSU's 23 campuses across the state.

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  As noted by NBC San Diego on July 31, 2012, "The agreement must be ratified by the California Faculty Association and the Board of Trustees. The contract affects 23,000 professors, counselors and librarians at CSU's 23 campuses across the state." (http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/California-State-University-Contract-Averts-Strike-164437166.html)