PTO’s Lee Says Legislation To Protect Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights ‘Necessary and Appropriate’

Congress plays a critical role in driving innovation and economic growth, said U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Michelle Lee at a Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property and Piracy Protection event Wednesday. Protecting patents, trademarks and copyrights provides incentives to invent and create, protects innovators and creates a platform for financial investment in innovation, Lee said, according to the text of her remarks. A Department of Commerce report said IP-intensive industries support more than 40 million jobs and contribute more than $5 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product, she said. “The work that we do at the USPTO is more important than ever,” Lee said. “Our focus on the highest level of quality is why we recently launched a new Enhanced Patent Quality Initiative,” she said according to written remarks. “We are pleased that Congress is actively pursuing legislative efforts to curtail abusive patent infringement litigation practices,” and “undertaking a review of copyright law,” she said. “Abusive tactics have no place in our patent system,” as they “divert resources away from the research, development and innovation that fuel our nation’s economic growth,” Lee said. Abusive tactics are “particularly harmful to startups and small businesses who lack the resources and expertise to properly defend themselves,” Lee said, which is why “legislation to curtail abusive patent litigation and bad faith threats of litigation is both necessary and appropriate.” Also Wednesday, bipartisan patent legislation was introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee members (see 1504290028).