Pharma And Obama

On 10th Feb’09, The US president Barack Obama received a letter from the US companies that invest a huge amount in R&D, explaining their concerns about Patent Law in the country.

The letter included the following topics:

 Recent Patent Reform Proposals
 Flawed Justifications
 Reducing Penalties for Patent Infringement
 Recent Changes to U.S Patent System
 Investment & Jobs are at Stake
 One Area of Consensus – Improvements are need at the USPTO

The letter concludes with proposals to change the U.S patent system, stating, “As proposals are made to change the U.S. patent system, we encourage you to consider the impact of these proposals on all stakeholders, not just a narrow group. Manufacturers and other patent stakeholders make great investments in inventing new products for sale at home and abroad, and we rely upon a balanced patent system that is good for all innovators. Drastic changes, such as reducing penalties for patent infringement, will discourage innovation, resulting in reduced investment and lost jobs at a time when the
United States can least afford it.

The justifications made for the legislation introduced in the 110th Congress do not withstand scrutiny. There is no explosion of patent litigation. There is no explosion in patent damages. The statistics simply do not bear out such assertions. We do not oppose all legislative efforts to improve the patent system, but we feel that any legislative changes should benefit the broad spectrum of patent stakeholders. We urge you to resist changes that would benefit only a narrow group of stakeholders.

Substantial improvements to the system can be made by improving the operations of the USPTO, and many of these changes can be made administratively. We believe improving this agency is an area where consensus can be found among all stakeholders. Our goal is for the U.S. patent system to continue to be the best in the world, and that it continue to encourage the kind of investment, product creation, and job creation that our companies generate. We look forward to working with you, other policymakers and other stakeholders to ensure this outcome.”

List of companies that signed the letter include,
Amidex, Inc, Cummins Inc, DePuy, DexCom Inc, Dow Corning, DuPont, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Medical Device Manufacturers Association, MedRad, Texas Instruments and Zimmer Inc etc.

Source: Patent Baristas