Smith To Introduce House Patent Bill Ahead Of Next Week's Hearing
House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, will introduce his own version of patent reform legislation next week, possibly as early as Monday.
Smith scheduled a hearing of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet for next Wednesday to consider the bill, still unnumbered but tentatively titled "The America Invents Act." Earlier this month the Senate passed a patent reform bill, also entitled "The America Invents Act."
After the Senate bill passed, Smith said he would introduce his legislation by the end of March, and a spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that he plans to unveil his proposals next week.
The rumor is the House version may have less restrictive post-grant review provisions and may not include language specifically banning Congress from diverting fees from the Patent and Trademark Office, at least not before next week's hearing, according to industry lobbyists.
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