The announcement that the House of Representatives is delaying consideration of H.R. 9 the pending patent reform bill, proves that inventors, small companies, universities, venture capitalists and the life science industry have raised serious concerns in the minds of many Members of Congress that it weakens the patent system, damaging American innovation. However, that does not mean that the fight is over. The formidable forces behind the bill are not going to meekly walk away after spending hundreds of millions of dollars and years of effort hyping the specter of patent trolls to advance their agenda. A vocal segment of the bill’s supporters dismiss the value of patents in today’s economy. To try and hoist a badly shaken patent reform behemoth back onto its feet, they will try to create doubts about the worth of the patent system in the minds of decision makers and the public.
