Comments on: The Patent Reform Act of 2006 - Senator Hatch sets a trail blaze in the waning days of the 109th Congress http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/ Still clinging to first-to-invent Sun, 12 Oct 2008 03:27:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: gerd http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/#comment-112 gerd Mon, 14 Aug 2006 01:42:57 +0000 http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/#comment-112 Grace period makes no sense in a first to file system. Grace period makes no sense in a first to file system.

]]> By: J. Matthew Buchanan http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/#comment-111 J. Matthew Buchanan Sun, 13 Aug 2006 03:18:40 +0000 http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/#comment-111 Doug -- Thanks for the question. I should have pointed out the significance of the fact that it came from Hatch in the original post. Sorry about that. Here are a few quick thoughts-- First...Senator Hatch is the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property (and Senator Leahy, the only original co-sponsor of the bill, is the Ranking Member). This committee handles all intellectual property bills in the Senate, and will certainly be the committee that controls any and all patent reform bills. As Chair, Senator Hatch will preside over markups of such bills. A bill of his own will be treated as, well, a bill of his own. Second...Hatch is the figurehead of intellectual property legislation in the Senate. He is known to have a keen interest in the subject, and has sheparded several significant pieces of IP legislation through the process in recent years. Copyright has been a favorite subject of his in recent years, but he may be shifting his focus to a patent agenda in coming years. Lastly, and perhaps most interesting, is an observation about his supporters. For 2006, Senator Hatch is <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.asp?Ind=H04&cycle=2006" rel="nofollow">fourth on the list of Congressmen receiving funds from the pharmaceutical industry</a> and <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.asp?cycle=2006&ind=B12" rel="nofollow">ninth on the list for the computer/internet industries</a>. People have anxiously waited to see which side he would support on the controversial reform issues, and many thought that he would try to please everyone. The fact that he introduced a bill that is very favorable to the computer/software side of the equation is sure to ruffle a lot of feathers. That's all I've got for now. Any other ideas on the significance of Hatch as an original sponsor of this bill? Doug –

Thanks for the question. I should have pointed out the significance of the fact that it came from Hatch in the original post. Sorry about that.

Here are a few quick thoughts–

First…Senator Hatch is the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property (and Senator Leahy, the only original co-sponsor of the bill, is the Ranking Member). This committee handles all intellectual property bills in the Senate, and will certainly be the committee that controls any and all patent reform bills. As Chair, Senator Hatch will preside over markups of such bills. A bill of his own will be treated as, well, a bill of his own.

Second…Hatch is the figurehead of intellectual property legislation in the Senate. He is known to have a keen interest in the subject, and has sheparded several significant pieces of IP legislation through the process in recent years. Copyright has been a favorite subject of his in recent years, but he may be shifting his focus to a patent agenda in coming years.

Lastly, and perhaps most interesting, is an observation about his supporters. For 2006, Senator Hatch is fourth on the list of Congressmen receiving funds from the pharmaceutical industry and ninth on the list for the computer/internet industries. People have anxiously waited to see which side he would support on the controversial reform issues, and many thought that he would try to please everyone. The fact that he introduced a bill that is very favorable to the computer/software side of the equation is sure to ruffle a lot of feathers.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Any other ideas on the significance of Hatch as an original sponsor of this bill?

]]> By: Douglas Sorocco http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/#comment-110 Douglas Sorocco Sat, 12 Aug 2006 14:18:28 +0000 http://unitedstates.promotetheprogress.com/the-patent-reform-act-of-2006-senator-hatch-sets-a-trail-blaze-in-the-waning-days-of-the-109th-congress/569/#comment-110 Matt - Remind me again why it matters that this bill came from Senator Hatch? Thanks, Douglas Matt -

Remind me again why it matters that this bill came from Senator Hatch?

Thanks,

Douglas

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