Washington — President Obama today issued five executive orders and seven legislative suggestions aimed at curbing the influence of patent trolls.
The White House said in a statement it took these steps to “improve incentives for future innovation in high-tech patents, a key driver of economic growth and good-paying American jobs.”
The White House said the executive actions and legislative recommendations are “designed to protect innovators from frivolous litigation and ensure the highest-quality patents in our system. Additionally, the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers released a report, ‘Patent Assertion and U.S. Innovation,’ detailing the challenges posed and necessity for bold legislative action.”
This type of action against patent trolls has been called for by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), especially during member visits to Congress this April. CEA has also backed legislation ending anonymous patents during May.
Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA, lauded the President’s decision in a statement: “President Obama’s decisive action today against Patent Assertion Entities (also known as patent trolls), is on the side of innovation and job creation and against the spineless parasites of society who ruin American businesses. The president’s actions are appropriate and necessary given the rise in threats of lawsuits and actual suits against millions of American businesses who have done nothing wrong other than use common web tools or try to create and sell products incorporating common technology.”
Click here to read a full transcript from the White House outlining the president’s legislative suggestions and executive actions.
