Public Innovation Project

INNOVATIVE PATENTS | MARKET COMPETITION | CONSUMER BENEFIT

We are advocates for a patent system that prioritizes innovative patents, market competition and consumer benefit.

Too often the patent system is abused by patent holders, either in filing for non-innovative patents, abusing existing patents or not licensing patents on fair and reasonable terms.

When this abuse occurs, rather than the patent system incentivizing innovation it hinders it at the expense of consumers who see higher prices on everyday items like needed medicines, technology products, cars and household appliances.

Issues

Abuse of the patent system by pharmaceutical companies that extends the length of their exclusivity period causing higher drug prices and harming patient outcomes.

Abuse of the standard setting process by companies that have standard essential patents that they either refuse to license or by failing to comply with their fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing obligations.

Patent eligibility standards to strengthen the patent system by preventing the issuance of non-innovative patents by the USPTO.

Support for the Inter-partes review (IPR) process at the USPTO to allow challenges to non-innovative patents.

Creating an incentive system for the proper review of patent applications by patent examiners at the USPTO. The current review process incentivizes the granting of a patent and disincentivizes a patent examiner from raising concerns with or rejecting an application.

Curtailing abusive litigation and demand letters by non-practicing entities that try and extort money from unsuspecting individuals, nonprofits and small businesses.