Obama calls for patent reform in State of the Union speech

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

Obama calls for patent reform in State of the Union speech

US President Barack Obama called for Congress to pass a patent reform bill during his State of the Union address

barack20obama.jpg

"Let’s pass a patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation, not costly, needless litigation,” said Obama.

The House of Representatives in December passed the Innovation Act, introduced by Bob Goodlatte, by a vote of 325-91.

The Senate is considering its own legislation to tackle so-called patent trolls.

Goodlatte responded to Obama’s speech by saying he was encouraged by the president’s continued willingness to work with Congress to stop abusive patent litigation.

“Businesses both large and small are affected by this growing problem and the enactment of the Innovation Act is central to US competiveness, job creation, and our nation’s future economic security. I look forward to working with President Obama and the Senate to see that patent litigation reform legislation is signed into law,” Goodlatte said.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Charles Harding plans to build a new team around life sciences oppositions and contentious work, drawing on his three decades developing a practice from scratch at D Young & Co
The firm reveals how its litigation strategies informed the arguments that took Masimo’s judgment past $818 million
The firm was rebuilding its IP practice through a string of patent hires and a Texas expansion, but its dissolution has put the newly built talent back into the market
AI can exploit longstanding gaps in copyright protection at remarkable speed, but EU law still provides tools to fight back, says Simon Hembt at Bird & Bird
The firm has tapped a local patent trio to establish a foothold in the market and broaden its national presence
New Asia-Pacific IP head Jonathan Chu is eyeing opportunities arising from Chinese technology licensing, overseas enforcement and increasingly IP-heavy cross-border deals
Europe’s largest intellectual property convention and trade fair is back: IP Service World 2026 takes place in Munich from November 23–25 – the 16th edition, with 1,400-plus attendees from 55-plus nations, 100-plus speakers, and 100-plus exhibitors. Three days. Two focused areas. One IP marketplace.
Mehmet Gün and Uğur Aktekin discuss four decades of change in Türkiye’s legal market, the firm’s commitment to independence and the challenge of building an institution that can outlast its founders
Boehringer Ingelheim has instructed a team from Kirkland, while Teva is being represented by Pinsent Masons
The Delhi High Court’s latest directions offer an opportunity to move beyond remedies against bad-faith registrations and address how suspicious applications are identified in the first place, says Fatima Baig at Lexlinc
Gift this article