Patent reform talks in home stretch — Incumbent industry concerns reaching top of Hill
By ALEX BYERS | 04/03/14 10:03 AM EDT
with help from Erin Mershon and Brooks Boliek
PATENT REFORM TALKS IN HOME STRETCH — Senators may not get a chance to actually legislate on patent reform today, but we’re likely to get an update on how negotiations on the many thorny issues at play are progressing. Tech lobbyists say they’re expecting a deal to emerge in the form of a Sen. Patrick Leahy manager’s amendment sometime over the weekend — or before — with an actual vote more likely on April 8. Leahy, for his part, will underscore in a morning statement that he’s trying to balance a lot of competing interests. “Stakeholders come to us with concerns from their particular experience. As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to listen to those concerns, but to pass laws that work for the entire community,” he’s expected to say.
--INCUMBENT INDUSTRY CONCERNS REACHING TOP OF HILL — At the same time, some companies won’t be shy about opposing the bill if they don’t like what they see. Companies like 3M, Procter and Gamble, and the Association of American Universities, said Wednesday they wouldn’t support a bill that does not “achieve the appropriate balance" on issues like discovery and customer stay — and those worries are being heard across the Hill. "This isn't just about fee shifting,” a Senate Democratic leadership aide told MT. “Major companies and organizations are drawing a line in the sand over concerns that Judiciary negotiations will weaken the patent system by limiting the ability of legitimate patent holders to enforce their patents.” No word on whether top Senate Dems, including Harry Reid, have the same worries, but we’re tracking.
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