Decision to Stall Senate Patent Legislation Disappointing for Small Employers
Statement from John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority, on Sen. Patrick Leahy̢???s decision today to take the patent reform bill off the Senate Judiciary Committee agenda
The small business community received some disappointing news today when senators decided to shelve legislation that would have reformed our patent system and protected small businesses from the predatory practices of ̢???patent trolls.̢???? Patent assertion entities, commonly referred to as patent trolls, are companies that don't make or sell anything; they just own patents, often vague or generalized ones covering commonly used technology such as WiFi, then demand annual fees for use of that technology̢??or immediately file lawsuits against companies they claim have infringed on their intellectual property.
Small business owners can be significantly harmed when patent trolls exploit loopholes in our patent system, and they support comprehensive reform. Polling recently released by Small Business Majority found that by a 3:1 margin, small employers support legislation that would change the rules and regulations surrounding patent infringement claims to reduce frivolous lawsuits brought by patent trolls.
It̢???s crucial our patent system promote innovation and entrepreneurialism, while protecting small business owners from frivolous litigation. We hope lawmakers keep small businesses top of mind and work together to find a solution to this growing problem.
<p><strong>About Small Business Majority</strong><br />
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America's 28 million small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong, sustainable economy. We are a team of more than 30 working from our 11 offices in Washington, D.C. and 9 states, with a network of more than 45,000 small business owners and more than 2,000 business organizations, along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 125 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about issues including taxes, healthcare, access to capital, entrepreneurship, workforce development, clean energy and immigration. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/SBM_Media" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessMajority" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/smlbizmajority/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>