California Healthcare Institute Submits Statement on Patent Reform Legislation

California Healthcare Institute Submits Statement on Patent Reform Legislation: "CHI recognizes the significant IP challenges facing software, IT and other high-tech firms – many based in California. The organization supports improving the U.S. patent system to ensure patent certainty and quality, recognizes that H.R. 1908 has certain merits, and remains committed to engaging constructively as the measure works its way through the Committee process. However, owing to the particular complexities surrounding biotechnology patents, CHI believes that some provisions of H.R. 1908 threaten life sciences investment and innovation. Specific provisions of concern to California’s life sciences innovators are: apportionment of damages for patent infringements, creating a new administrative mechanism for challenging patents throughout the life of a patent, and expanding the Patent and Trademark Office’s (PTO) rulemaking authority to enact restrictions on continuation applications and the number of claims in patent applications."