{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221012015/http://farenthold.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363555", "House Passes Innovation Act to Curb Abusive Patent Litigation", "2013-12-05", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "TX", "Blake Farenthold", "F000460", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act, which addresses the ever increasing problem of abusive patent litigation.\u00a0 U.S. Congressman Blake Farenthold (TX-27), a member of the House Judiciary Committee and an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3309, spoke in favor of the bill before it passed by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 325-91.\u00a0 \n\u201cThe patent system is a vital part of our national identity, stimulating American ingenuity and enhancing our global competitiveness,\u201d said Congressman Farenthold.\u00a0 \n\u201cTraditionally, patent holders have asserted their patents against those who produce infringing technologies.\u00a0 But in recent years, abusive patent litigation\u2014\u201cpatent trolling\u201d\u2014has ballooned, as companies have emerged solely to buy questionable and vaguely-defined patents and assert them against thousands of companies in hopes of extracting licensing fees.\u00a0 This system has amounted to legalized extortion and H.R. 3309 will significantly curb the problem,\u201d concluded Congressman Farenthold.\u00a0 \nH.R. 3309 incorporates several provisions from H.R. 2639, a patent reform bill that Congressman Farenthold and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08) introduced this past July.\u00a0Also this past summer, Congressman Farenthold and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA-32) sent a bipartisan letter to the Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez urging the FTC to examine the practices of patent assertion entities that wrongfully target end users. End users are consumers and businesses who use off-the-shelf products for their intended use, like your local coffee shop or restaurant owner who purchases a Wi-Fi router to provide internet for customers.\u00a0 These local businesses then receive threating demand letters from patent trolls who do not want to exploit the patent but instead want to see a quick settlement.\u00a0 \nKey Components of the Innovation Act: \n\u2022 Target Abusive Patent Litigation: The bill targets abusive patent litigation behavior and not specific entities with the goal of preventing individuals from taking advantage of gaps in the system to engage in litigation extortion. It does not attempt to eliminate valid patent litigation.\n\u2022 Protects the Patent System: The patent system is integral to U.S. competitiveness. This legislation does not diminish or devalue patent rights in any way.\n\u2022 Increases Transparency: This legislation includes heightened pleading standards and transparency provisions. Requiring parties to do a bit of due diligence up front before filing an infringement suit is just plain common sense. It not only reduces litigation expenses, but saves the court's time and resources. Greater transparency and information is a good thing and it makes our patent system stronger. \n\u2022 Modernizes Fee Shifting: The legislation includes a modernized version of Section 285 fee shifting that is fair, clear and will ensure consistent judicial determinations.\n\u2022 Provides Greater Clarity: The legislation provides for more clarity surrounding initial discovery, case management, joinder and the common law doctrine of customer stays. The bill works hand-in-hand with the procedures and practices of the Judicial Conference and the courts.\n\u2022 Small Business Education: The bill provides for small business education and outreach by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221012015/http://farenthold.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363555"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6048550605773926, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}