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Patent Law Overhaul: Stronger Rights for Inventors and Innovation Protection.

This Act fundamentally strengthens inventors' rights by reverting the patent system to "First-to-Invent" from "First-to-File." It abolishes administrative bodies designed to challenge patents, making issued patents significantly more secure and challengeable only through costly court proceedings. The legislation also broadens patent eligibility for software and scientific discoveries, aiming to boost innovation but potentially increasing litigation risks.
Key points
Reverts to the "First-to-Invent" system, prioritizing the original creator over the first filer, and restores a one-year grace period.
Abolishes administrative patent challenge procedures (like IPR and PTAB), making patents much harder to invalidate once granted.
Expands patent eligibility for scientific discoveries and software inventions, reversing previous Supreme Court limitations.
Treats patents explicitly as private property rights, strengthening the owner's ability to enforce them and obtain injunctions against infringers.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_HR_8134
Sponsor: Rep. Massie, Thomas [R-KY-4]
Process start date: 2024-04-26