White House applauds Leahy patent bill

The White House announced its support for the patent reform bill introduced by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) Monday.

In a statement late Monday, Gene Sperling, director of President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council, called the introduction of the Patent Transparency and Improvements Act “a big step in the right direction.”

{mosads}The bill from Leahy and Lee comes as the House Judiciary Committee prepares to markup the Innovation Act — authored by Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) — Wednesday.

The introduction of the Patent Transparency and Improvements Act “makes clear that both chambers of Congress share the President’s goal of encouraging innovation, not needless litigation, by reducing abusive patent trolls lawsuits,” Sperling said.

“The bill addresses many common-sense reforms we called for in June, including making patent ownership more transparent, better protecting end-users from troll lawsuits, and undercutting abusive use of demand letters.”

Sperling said the White House looks forward to working with Leahy, Lee, Goodlatte “and other leading Democrats and Republicans in Congress to advance legislation that enjoys strong consensus of both parties and the wide range of stakeholders calling for action this year.”