Patent News


Jun. 6, 2018

Bipartisan Members of Congress Letter to Commerce Secretary Ross and USPTO Director Iancu Calling for Efforts to Strengthen Patent System

June 6, 2018

Dear Secretary Ross and Under Secretary Iancu:

We write to express concern in the dramatic drop in our Nation’s standing in global intellectual property rankings. In the past two years, the United States’ patent system has fallen from being ranked #1 in the world in 2016, down to #12 in 2018. This alarming drop is said to be “primarily driven by relative weakness in patentability requirements and patent opposition.”

The U.S. patent system is crucial to promoting innovation and job creation. The Commerce Department itself has determined that industries that rely on strong intellectual property rights support 27.9 million jobs and help to maintain America’s competitive edge in the global economy.

Given the importance of patents in maintaining America’s global competitiveness, the drop in our Nation’s patenting rankings is especially troubling as American workers and businesses compete with the rest of the world in today’s global, knowledge-based economy.

We ask that you affirm your commitment to ensuring that the U.S. patent system is and remains the strongest and most robust patent system in the world. We also ask that you provide us with information on your specific plans and initiatives to achieve that goal. If you believe that legislation is necessary or would be beneficial in strengthening the U.S. patent system, we look forward to receiving your recommendations for crafting appropriate legislation.

Sincerely,

Robin L. Kelly, Member of Congress

Jim Jordan, Member of Congress

Donald M. Payne, Jr., Member of Congress

Nydia M. Velázquez, Member of Congress

Dr. Paul A. Gosar D.D.S., Member of Congress

Alex X. Mooney, Member of Congress

Ralph Norman, Member of Congress

To read a PDF of the letter, click here.