The Coalition for 21st Century Patent Reform, a group of over 50 companies from more than 16 different industry sectors, believes that reforms to U.S. patent laws are needed — and we are dedicated to working toward that end.

On April 2, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on S. 515, the Patent Reform Act of 2009, reporting the bill to the full Senate by a vote of 15 to 4.

Chairman Patrick Leahy, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Arlen Specter offered a compromise package of amendments that the Coalition supported.

Read the Coalition's letter to the Senators supporting the compromise package.

The amendments adopted are available.

To stimulate innovation and job growth, our Coalition supports legislation that will ensure that inventors and companies with deserving inventions resulting from their research and development expenditures will receive prompt, high quality examination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and that patents issued will provide a firm foundation on which to build a business.

The Coalition will work to support the bill as it moves toward the floor of the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.