Sen. Carper Votes to Modernize U.S. Patent System

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) voted to provide a more transparent and efficient process for inventors and patent owners.  The America Invents Act passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 95 to 5. 

“If our nation wants to out-innovate the rest of the world, we need to begin by giving the architects of the next great American invention the ability to efficiently secure necessary patents and funding,” said Sen. Carper. “The U.S. patent system was last updated nearly 60 years ago, but the technologies and resources that drive the American economy have changed dramatically since then and continue to rapidly evolve. We need to make sure that our patent system is modernized to meet the needs of American innovators so we can harness American ingenuity rather than hinder it. 

“The bipartisan America Invents Act updates and strengthens the U.S. patent system, giving budding and established entrepreneurs a level playing field to compete effectively with other great minds across the globe,” continued Sen. Carper. “The bill comes at no cost to the government – but provides America with a huge return in job creation and economic growth, and puts more products stamped with ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ on the market.”     

The America Invents Act will:

Harmonize our patent filing system with the rest of the world to add more objectivity and validity into patent ownership.  This will assure simple and transparent patentability determinations. 

Increase the quality of patents that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues and incorporate best practices into patent application examination and review.

Increase resources for the USPTO so that it can work through the backlog of 700,000+ applications.