"Innovation is key to building the jobs of the future in Colorado and throughout the country."

Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) voted with a bipartisan group of House members to pass HR 3309, the Innovation Act, to help protect small businesses’ patents from frivolous lawsuits by patent trolls.  Additionally, Perlmutter joined the House Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship's letter opposing the diversion of US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) patent filing fees under the across-the-board budget cuts known as "sequestration."

The Innovation Act forces patent trolls to be more transparent and make sure they are accountable for their claims of patent infringement.

A new Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is located in the Denver metro area.  It is projected to have a nearly $400 million economic impact in Colorado and support more than 1,000 new jobs directly and indirectly. Unfortunately, due to deep across the board budget cuts known as sequestration, the new office is significantly delayed.  Perlmutter and other members of the House sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) asking them to stop sequestering patent filing fees that fund the USPTO because the USPTO uses no taxpayer money and is entirely funded by user fees paid by inventors applying for patents.

Perlmutter said, "Innovation is key to building the jobs of the future in Colorado and throughout the country.  If we make it in America, we will make it in America. We must make sure our patent system is fully funded to help the innovators of tomorrow receive their patents today, and we must do everything we can to ensure new ideas and products are developed without unnecessary litigation and delay."

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