In an op-ed running on The Hill.com, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Dr. John E. Kelly III, calls for the U.S. House of Representatives to vote in support of the America Invents Act (H.R. 1249) patent reform legislation which will stimulate U.S. innovation, economic competitiveness and jobs.
Dr. Kelly’s op-ed, asserts that H.R. 1249 is important legislation that will facilitate improvements to the U.S. patent system, while balancing the needs of inventors of all sizes in all industries.
As the leading recipient of U.S. patents for 18 consecutive years, IBM understands and appreciates the importance of strong intellectual property laws, and encourages swift passage of H.R. 1249.
If the Appropriations Committee succeeds in stripping the fee diversion provisions from the patent reform bill, then it’s doubtful the bill will ever pass; the patent reform bill without the fee diversion provisions could possibly do more harm than good, anyway.