For the past several years, SIIA has been trying to persuade Congress to change patent law to make it more difficult for non-practicing entities (e.g., trolls) to shake down technology businesses.   What we don’t need is additional court decisions that make matters worse.   To that end, SIIA, along with several leading tech companies, filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court urging it to reverse the Federal Circuit’s decision in Apple v. Samsung.  (For those of you that are curious, the Federal Circuit decision is here). Apple and Samsung have been battling in court for the past several years over design patents, which cover only non-functional aesthetic elements of a particular product.   A person who uses that design without an authorization is an infringer, in the same way that someone who used Apple’s “slide to unlock” feature without a license would owe them a royalty.   Where the two kinds of patents ...

On September 9, 2015, SIIA’s Senior Vice President for Public Policy, Mark MacCarthy hosted a Hill event with the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to urge the immediate passage of patent reform legislation.  SIIA strongly and vocally supports passage of the Innovation Act so that patent trolls can no longer use abusive litigation tactics to stifle innovation and growth of small and large businesses alike.  Chairman Goodlatte reassured the audience that the patent bill would move to the House floor “soon.”

A new Congress and a reinvigorated Administration mean legislation of interest to SIIA’s members is likely to pass in 2015.  We intend to be pro-active and vigilant to ensure that this legislation responds to the broad public interest, including preserving and advancing the business interests and opportunities of SIIA’s member companies.

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SIIA welcomes today’s announcement by the Obama Administration that it will make improvements to the patent system to strengthen the quality of the patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and foster innovation and to combat litigation abuse by patent trolls.  SIIA is especially pleased that the Administration has issued a renewed call for Congress to enact meaningful patent litigation abuse legislation.

White House Holds Patent Event With Congress in recess this week, the Administration will pick up the torch on patent reform, holding a White House event on Thursday to highlight the progress on the Administration’s patent policy agenda. The event marks the one-year anniversary of the President’s call to action to combat the problem of “patent trolls” and abusive patent litigation, and will feature keynote addresses by senior administration officials, including PTO Deputy Director Michelle Lee, on the status of the reform agenda announced on June 4, 2013 and other efforts underway.

FTC Takes Close Look at “Native Advertising” The Federal Trade Commission will host a workshop on Wednesday to examine the blending of advertisements with news, entertainment, and other editorial content in digital media, referred to as “native advertising” or “sponsored content.” The workshop will bring together publishing and advertising industry representatives, consumer advocates, academics, and self-regulatory organizations to explore: the ways in which sponsored content is presented to consumers online and in mobile apps; consumers’ recognition and understanding of it; the contexts in which it should be identifiable as advertising; and effective ways of differentiating it from editorial content. The workshop builds on previous Commission initiatives to help ensure that consumers can identify advertisements as advertising wherever they appear. This includes recent updates to the Search Engine Advertising guidance, the  ...

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Judiciary Chairman to Introduce Patent Litigation Reform Legislation  House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) will introduce his patent reform bill today, and he has scheduled a Committee hearing on the legislation on October 29, entitled “Improving the Patent System to Promote American Innovation and Competitiveness.” The bill is expected to be very similar to the recent discussion draft released in September. SIIA believes that it is essential for Congress to promptly pass legislation that effectively addresses patent litigation abuse without harming the patent protections that spur innovation. We will continue working closely with Chairman Goodlatte and other congressional leaders to accomplish this objective.