Rep. Lofgren Hails Passage of Patent Reform Act of 2007

Bill Includes Lofgren Amendment on Venue

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) today hailed the House’s approval of the bipartisan Patent Reform Act of 2007. The bill, which Rep. Lofgren co-sponsored and has worked on for over five years, reforms existing patent law to ensure that America remains at the forefront of global research and development efforts. Included in the bill was a bipartisan amendment authored by Rep. Lofgren that combats the recent growth in opportunistic forum shopping by plaintiffs in patent litigation.

“I’m delighted that the House of Representatives has come together in a bipartisan manner to address the need for comprehensive reform in our intellectual property system,” noted Rep. Zoe Lofgren. “I believe this bill strikes the right balance between the need for strong patent rights and the encouragement of innovation. My amendment to the bill, which was incorporated into the manager’s amendment, goes a long way towards addressing this balance by focusing on the troubling growth of forum shopping in patent litigation. The amendment restores fairness and clarity to patent litigation by removing the most glaring instances of forum shopping by patent trolls.”

“As a representative from Silicon Valley, which has one of the most vibrant and diverse economies in the world, I’m keenly aware of the need for comprehensive patent reform. This bill will help our nation and the Valley maintain their global preeminence in research and development. Our patent system was last updated over fifty years ago, and it’s time that we bring it into the digital age.”

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her seventh term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. She serves as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. She also Chairs the House Administration Subcommittee on Elections and serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. Congresswoman Lofgren is Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation consisting of 34 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.