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Senate Set to Vote Yes on Patent Reform Bill

Law360
September 2, 2011

Related Professionals: McNeill, Rebecca M.

Media Mention

On September 6, 2011, the Senate is scheduled to vote to invoke cloture on HR 1249, the House version of legislation known as the America Invents Act, ending six years of wrangling over U.S. patent reform policy. The Act will make some significant changes to the patent system including shifting the U.S. to a first-to-file system, which is practiced in the rest of the world. Additionally, the bill institutes a system of post-grant review, reflecting the importance of assuring high-quality patents by providing an avenue for challenging bad patents. Finnegan attorney Rebecca McNeill states, “I think you’ll see people using post-grant review very aggressively.”