The Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, April 16, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building to review H.R. ___, the Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (TROL Act).
Continuing the subcommittee’s work from last Congress, the draft legislation seeks to protect businesses and consumers from abusive patent demand letters, while preserving the ability of patent holders to legitimately protect their intellectual property. The draft increases transparency and accountability in patent demand letters and provides the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with the authority to levy fines on those who send deceptive demand letters.
“The misuse of patents as a business strategy is a massive drag on the economy to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year," said Burgess. “The TROL Act offers a balanced solution to this pressing problem, targeting bad actors without compromising a strong patent system that is necessary to protect innovation and job growth. The subcommittee passed this legislation with bipartisan support last year so we will start from that foundation and hopefully work cooperatively with all sides to make needed improvements."
The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted. See Also
* H.R. ___, the Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act (TROL Act)
