With action heating up in Congress on the biggest overhaul of patent laws in half a century, universities are joining the chorus of companies and organizations pushing for changes in the proposed legislation. And, separately, the presidents of the Big Ten universities are adding their voices to the choir.
Without some adjustments, the institutions and companies argue, the new laws will undermine the value of patents and “hinder innovation across the diverse sectors of the American economy we represent.” One issue that unites universities and industry is their concern over a proposal to establish a new system for challenging patents after they are granted. Universities and companies say they fear such a system, as now designed in the legislation, would allow third parties to “harass the patent holder” and create too much uncertainty about the value of an issued patent.