House Judiciary Chairman to Reintroduce Innovation Act Thursday

House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., will reintroduce the Innovation Act at a news conference Thursday at 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn, said a committee news release Wednesday. The bill, which passed the House in 2013, is designed to reform the “ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation,” it said. Goodlatte will be joined by House Judiciary IP Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. A spokesman for House Judiciary Committee member Tom Marino, R-Pa., told us last week the bill is expected to be "virtually the same" as the 2013 version (HR-3309) (see 1501300052).