House subcommittee sends Patent Reform Act of 2007 to full Judiciary CommitteeMay 18, 2007

The House subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property this week has approved the House version of the Patent Reform Act of 2007 (H.R. 1908). The bill now goes to the full House Judiciary Committee for further review before going to the House for a full vote.

Although this is a key first hurdle for patent reform legislation this legislative session, many of the subcommittee members expressed reservations about the bill when sending it to the full committee. Several members of the committee expressed concern about the more controversial provisions in the bill, most particularly the expansive nature of the post-grant review procedure provided in the bill and the limitations on the amount of damages a patent holder can recover for infringement.

In addition, according to reports, a package of amendments will be introduced soon. It is unclear what these amendments will be, but they will "move these discussions along," according to Representative John Conyers, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. As always, we'll be watching for further developments.

Patently-O has more tidbits regarding the Patent Reform Act of 2007 here.

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