releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20140301101025/http://orourke.house.gov/media-center/vote-explanations/voted-yes-on-innovation-act-hr-3309
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20140301101025/http://orourke.house.gov/media-center/vote-explanations/voted-yes-on-innovation-act-hr-3309 | Voted "Yes" on Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) | 2013-12-05 | 2013 | 2013-12 | Democrat | House | TX | Beto O'Rourke | O000170 | web.archive.org | legacy | The House passed the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) by a bipartisan vote of 325-91. I voted yes because it will help protect entrepreneurs, foster innovation, and limit abusive litigation by companies who purchase broad patents and then sue for infringement. These companies are commonly known as patent trolls and abusive patent litigation costs our economy $29 billion each year. H.R. 3309 reduces the chilling effect of abusive patent litigation by patent trolls. These practices include using the threat of costly lawsuits to pressure smaller companies into settling out of court or suing without specifying which patent has supposedly been violated. H.R. 3309 shifts fees to deter patent trolls from filing frivolous lawsuits and requires plaintiffs to specify the exact reason they are suing, avoiding unnecessarily expensive discovery costs that often deter defendant companies from innovation and growth. Patent trolls have also been known to abuse product end-users (for example, coffee shops who provide wi-fi have been the target of legal threats), who often lack knowledge of the patent process and might not realize they own products in violation of patent law. H.R. 3309 protects end-users from these predatory practices, which can inhibit business growth and job creation. While the bill is not a perfect solution to all of the problems within the patent system, it represents a good start in shifting the burden of frivolous litigation from small business defendants to the patent trolls themselves. Given that the Senate is expected to address the bill next year and the President has expressed his support, I am hopeful these policies will become law and will protect American innovators from patent law abuse. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |