April 17, 2009

Senate Advances Bill to Bring Sweeping Changes to Patent Law

By GOLDIE BLUMENSTYK

Legislation that could bring a major overhaul to U.S. patent law — and perhaps prompt inventors to publish new findings earlier to preserve their intellectual-property rights — has been adopted by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Thanks to several amendments, the new measure, unlike bills proposed in 2007, would not undercut the rights of academic institutions that hold patents, college officials said.

The amended Senate bill, the Patent Reform Act of 2009 (S 515),

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