U.S. on Verge of Patent Reform

摘要

A bill to overhaul the U.S. patent system survived a dispute over funding and passed the House of Representatives last week, 304 to 117. The Senate approved a similar bill in March, 95-5. After 6 years of debate, Congress seems ready to make the first big revision of the U.S. patent system in 60 years. Both the House and Senate would end the U.S. practice of giving priority to the first person who claims to have invented a new technology; instead, the patent would go to the first to file a valid application. This would bring the U.S. system in line with the rest of the world. Those who favor first-to-file-including large technology firms-say that it is objective, efficient, and likely to reduce lawsuits. But small businesses and independent inventors have argued that the change will favor corporations. House and Senate negotiators will get together this month to work out a final bill.