After six years of debate over patent reform, the U.S. Senate last week overwhelmingly approved the America Invents Act, a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. patent system that intends to weed out unnecessary patents and put the country more on par with international patent procedures. The bill, authored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., passed with a bipartisan vote of 89-9 in the Senate. The House approved it 304-117 in March. It was popular among both parties for its focus on speeding up the invention and innovation process, especially in light of competition from China.
e-Commerce Times