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.