Delaware Business Times: Stronger patent protections boost innovation by Sen. Chris Coons
America’s patent system used to be the gold standard for the world. It incentivized innovators – in Delaware and across our country – to take risks that delivered new inventions that propelled our economy and improved people’s lives. Sadly, our patent system has been weakened significantly, gradually becoming less reliable and effective, and our innovators no longer have confidence their ideas will actually be protected.
Don’t just take my word for it: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has repeatedly pointed to the uncertainty and unpredictability that have caused the U.S. patent system to slip from first in the world. Too often, these failures have come about due to self-inflicted wounds – policies that have not worked as Congress intended. While that’s humbling to admit, it’s also good news: it means we have the opportunity to reform our system to restore our global competitive edge.