Manufacturers: Patent Reform Bill Key to Jobs and Competitiveness
09/08/11 - National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Relations Aric Newhouse issued this statement today on H.R. 1249, the America Invents Act:“Today’s vote in the Senate is important for jobs and manufacturing competitiveness in the United States. Intellectual property is the lifeblood of manufacturing, and it is absolutely essential that manufacturers have the necessary protections for their inventions to encourage jobs and economic growth.
The current backlog of patent applications causes delays for manufacturers working to bring innovative products to the marketplace before their competitors overseas. This hurts our global competitiveness. This legislation makes reforms that will give the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office the resources necessary to expedite examination and inventors the tools necessary to ensure our patent system remains the best in the world.
These are the first major reforms to the patent system in nearly 60 years. Over the decades, manufacturing has evolved and modernized. Now it’s time to update the system to keep up with manufacturers. We urge swift passage in the Senate and look forward to the President signing the bill as soon as possible.”
SOURCE
