Has the US Congress found a way through competing interests to develop patent reform proposals that will satisfy everyone? Unfortunately, the answer appears to be a frustrating "not yet".
Last month, Senators Patrick Leahy and Orrin Hatch together with Representatives Howard Berman and Lamar Smith introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to make the patent system more streamlined and efficient. The bills are HR1908 and S1145.
But the initial reaction suggests that while the bills address many concerns, particularly among the IT community, they also include provisions that many IP owners will find unacceptable.
Steven Miller, vice president and general counsel intellectual property at Procter & Gamble and a member of the Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform steering committee, said: "We are encouraged that the bills that Chairman Leahy and Chairman Berman have introduced will allow the legislative process on needed reforms to advance. However, we are concerned the bills as...