Lawmakers Take Another Shot At Patent Reform
narramissic writes “Patent reform legislation was introduced yesterday, which, if it passes, would be the first major overhaul of U.S. patent law in more than 50 years. (It should be noted that the new legislation is very similar to the Patent Reform Act of 2007, which died on the Senate floor last year.) The legislation would bring U.S. patent law in line with global laws, and introduce ‘reasonable royalty’ provisions, which change the way damages are calculated and would reduce the likelihood of massive payouts for some patent holders. Representatives from Google, HP and Intel were quick to say that the changes would cut down on frivolous patent lawsuits. But the Innovation Alliance, a group representing patent-holders that oppose the legislation said that it would ‘devalue all patents, invite infringement — including from companies in China, India and other countries — and generate more litigation that will further strain the courts.'”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
