America Invents Act

In 2007, The Patent Reform Act was proposed in the USA. It was rejected in the Senate in 2008 but discussions began again in 2009.

This proposal does not deliver the real reform we need - it would not end or even reduce the granting of software patents by the USPTO. We need to change what can be patented - what areas are "patentable subject matter", to have software removed.

See also

• 2008 State of Software Patents, Section III discusses Congress and The Patent Reform Act
• Raising examination standards

External links

• ESP: The Patent Reform Act
• March 2009: Slashdot, Lawmakers Take Another Shot At Patent Reform
• A campaign generally supporting the proposed reforms: http://www.patentfairness.org/
• April 2007: New patent reform bill would streamline appeal process, Ars Technica
• Wikipedia: Patent Reform Act of 2007

Patently-o coverage

• Patent Reform Dec 14, 2005
• http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2007/01/why_microsoft_w.html
• Patently-o article about The Patent Reform Act 2009