On November 21, 2024, the Senate Judiciary Committee, by a vote of 11-10, voted to advance S. 2220, the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act, known as the PREVAIL Act. Below is United for Patent Reform's statement on the Committee's action:
UFPR Statement on Senate Judiciary Committee PREVAIL Act Markup
November 21, 2024, WASHINGTON—United for Patent Reform (UFPR) issued the following statement following the Senate Judiciary Committee’s markup today advancing the PREVAIL Act. This bill, if enacted, would eliminate fundamental provisions of the 2011 America Invents Act (AIA), effectively terminating the option for American businesses to seek a cost-effective and efficient process for assessing invalid patents.
"Today’s hearing revealed that PREVAIL remains a highly complex, flawed and damaging piece of legislation. We are deeply disappointed that a one-vote majority of the Senate Judiciary Committee chose to undermine an efficient and cost-effective procedure to address invalid patents that would otherwise be used to shake down American businesses. PREVAIL would negatively impact many facets of the American economy including manufacturing, retail, restaurants, drug prices, and more. Bad bills like PREVAIL reduce the incentive for high quality patents and make it easier for patent litigation abuse to thrive."
"It is time for the Senate to refocus and protect American businesses from frivolous litigation by prioritizing policies that promote the issuance of high quality patents in the first place."
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UFPR is a broad coalition of diverse American businesses advocating for a patent system that enhances patent quality, advances meaningful innovation, and protects legitimate American businesses from abusive patent litigation. Collectively, its members represent over 90 million U.S. employees, a figure that accounts for nearly two-thirds of private sector jobs in the U.S. For more information, visit unitedforpatentreform.com.