The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier Opinion: Don’t let Congress kill the dreams of inventors, by Ila Scott-Ford
This post originally appeared in The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier on October 4, 2015.
It was John F. Kennedy who said, “The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.” If he were alive today, he would undoubtedly squelch legislation, S. 1137 and H.R. 9.
I have to believe we all know an inventor, or maybe you are an inventor yourself. If you’ve ever had an idea for a new product, if you’re working on a patentable idea or you know someone who is, if you care about jobs created by product development, then please help stop S. 1137 and H.R. 9 from being passed. Why? Because it reduces our ability to protect our intellectual property. And weakened patent protection results in weakened interest by investors who are often the only lifeline to funding product developers need.
As a passionate, lifelong inventor and the proud creator of several unique products, I admire the inventors who’ve had the ambition and creativity to turn their ideas into reality. I believe most of America does too — which is why many of us watch programming like the PBS series Everyday Edison. And why we tune into Shark Tank every week. Not to watch them throw insults and battle each other, but to learn about the inspiration behind the ideas. To hear the transformation stories.