American Innovators for Patent Reform Joins the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation

Online, January 12, 2010 (Newswire.com) - New York, N.Y. - January 12, 2010 - American Innovators for Patent Reform (AIPR), a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the U.S. Patent system, has joined the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation. Representing independent inventors, small businesses, researchers and engineers, and other innovation stakeholders, AIPR took an active stance in 2007 to oppose the Patent Reform Act of 2007. That legislation was never enacted into law, but the Patent Reform Act of 2009 (S. 515 and H.R. 1260) is still pending before Congress, and American Innovators for Patent Reform opposes several key elements in this proposed legislation.

Other members of the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation include CONNECT (www.connect.org), the National Small Business Association (www.nsba.biz), IP Advocate (www.ipadvocate.org), the National Association of Patent Practitioners (www.napp.org), the Professional Inventors Alliance USA (www.piausa.org) and the United Inventors Association (www.uiausa.org).

"Congress has been distracted - in fact, consumed - by health care legislation for the last several months," observes Alexander Poltorak, founder and President of American Innovators for Patent Reform, "while S. 515 and H.R. 1260 were put on hold. However, there is no doubt that Congress will again address the Patent Reform Act in 2010, and those who believe that only strong U.S. patents will insure and protect American innovation must stand united in opposition to this ill-conceived legislation!"

"The Senate Judiciary Committee has already considered S. 515 and has marked up the bill. The Good News is that the House Judiciary Committee has not yet considered H.R. 1260, so the opportunity still exists to have the bill either seriously modified or possibly rejected by this committee," added Dr. Poltorak.

Among several actions that were taken by the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation, the group sent a letter to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) urging it to assume its unique role, expertise and mandate in evaluating the proposed patent reform legislation's effects on small businesses.

"We applaud the work of the Small Business Coalition on Patent Legislation," Dr. Poltorak continued. "They've made significant progress in getting the voice of small business - traditionally the largest source of new job creation and new technologies - heard in the halls of Government."

About American Innovators for Patent Reform
Headquartered in New York City, American Innovators for Patent Reform (AIPR) represents a broad constituency of American innovators and innovation stakeholders, including inventors, engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, patent owners, investors, small businesses, and intellectual property professionals such as patent attorneys, patent agents, tech transfer managers and licensing executives.

In addition to Alexander Poltorak, who is the founder and CEO of General Patent Corporation, American Innovators for Patent Reform's Board of Directors includes Lawrence Udell, Executive Director of Intellectual Property International, Ltd.; Ron Reardon, Vice President of the National Association of Patent Practitioners and President of the United Inventors Association; Pat Choate, noted economist and writer, and Director of the Manufacturing Policy Project; and Mike Drummond, Editor-in-Chief of Inventors Digest.

AIPR opposes the Patent Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 1260 and S. 515) and its proposed apportionment of damages, post grant opposition and a change to the first-to-file regime. AIPR advocates strengthening the U.S. intellectual property regime and increasing funding for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. AIPR advocates patent reform that creates a multi-tier patent system, synchronizes patent and copyright laws, and clearly strengthens U.S. patents.

For more information about AIPR, please visit www.aminn.org.

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