On Tuesday, the Senate voted 95-5 in favor of S.23, the first overhaul to U.S. patent law in over 50 years. The bill seeks to update and repair the way the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office functions, from it’s review processes to how they hear challenges on patent applications. "Senate passage of S. 23 is very encouraging," said AIPLA President David Hill, a partner at Finnegan. "We are hopeful that patent reform will soon become a reality."