Q. As the new Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, what will be your first item of business?
A. With the start of the 112th Congress, I became the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, or the leader of the committee Republicans. As the Ranking Member, my first piece of Judiciary Committee business was introducing legislation with Senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Orrin Hatch of Utah to update the nation’s patent laws. Senator Leahy is the Democratic committee chairman. Under our leadership, the committee is considering our bipartisan Patent Reform Act.
Q. What would the Patent Reform Act do?
A. The American people made it clear last November that jobs, debt and spending are the issues on which they want this Congress to focus. The Patent Reform Act falls in line with those priorities. This legislation will help spur innovation and job growth. It will also help encourage investments in American innovations. Intellectual property rights are extremely important to our nation’s economy. So it’s important to ensure that our patent system is as strong and efficient as it can be. The patent system hasn’t been updated in decades. Red tape has accumulated in the meantime, leaving inventors with long waits and hassles to get their products approved. While their innovations sit on the shelf waiting for patent protection, other countries are moving ahead. The Patent Reform Act will update the American patent system to help streamline and strengthen the patent process as well as improve patent quality.
Q. How would the Patent Reform Act benefit people beyond those who apply for patents?
A. Patents generate jobs for Americans to develop, manufacture, market and sell new products and services. Every day, we benefit from technological and medical advances developed by forward thinkers. America is the birthplace of the light bulb, the personal computer, anesthesia, and many other items we sometimes take for granted. In today’s global market, American inventors and researchers need to know their work and ideas will be protected. With a simplified and transparent patent process, they will be able to focus on developing the advances that will create jobs and make life better for all of us.