Patent Reform Archives - National Venture Capital Association

NVCA Outlines Key Policies Priorities in Letter to Donald Trump

All Press Releases, Capital Formation & Regulation, Healthcare Innovation, Immigration, Net Neutrality, Patent Reform, Taxes, Technology December 1, 2016/by actualize

Calls on President-Elect to Commit to Strong Entrepreneurship Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC – In a letter to President-elect Donald J. Trump today, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) outlined key policy priorities to strengthen venture capital and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Recognizing that the Trump campaign for president tapped into a belief that many pockets of the country have been left behind by the modern economy, NVCA called on the president-elect to commit to a strong entrepreneurship agenda as a way to build strong economies in all areas of our country. Read more

NVCA Announces Opposition to H.R. 9 Following Committee Markup

All Press Releases, Patent Reform June 11, 2015/by actualize

Urges moderation to target abusive behavior while protecting patent-reliant startups

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today issued the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee completed its markup of H.R. 9, the Innovation Act of 2015, and reported it out of committee by a vote of 24-8.

“While we appreciate the spirit of H.R. 9 and share the mutual goal of deterring abusive behavior plaguing our patent litigation system, we cannot support the bill in its current form,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. Read more

Without Changes to Protect Startups and Investors, NVCA Opposes PATENT Act

All Press Releases, Patent Reform June 4, 2015/by actualize

Bill will increase the cost and risk of patent litigation, putting startups at a disadvantage against entrenched competitors

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today issued the following statement regarding S. 1137, the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship (PATENT) Act of 2015.

“At the time of introduction, we said the PATENT Act was a step in the right direction when compared to H.R. 9, the Innovation Act of 2015, and we were hopeful that improvements could be made to protect startups and their investors in order to garner our support,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. Read more

NVCA Applauds Passage of TROL Act by Energy and Commerce Committee

All Press Releases, Patent Reform April 29, 2015/by actualize

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today issued the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters (TROL) Act of 2015 introduced by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX).

“We commend Rep. Burgess and his colleagues for taking this important step to rein in abusive behavior plaguing our nation’s patent system. Individuals that seek to game the system for their own financial gain undermine our patent system and threaten innovation,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA.

NVCA: Senate Patent Reform Bill Represents Step in Right Direction

All Press Releases, Patent Reform April 29, 2015/by actualize

Venture Industry Looks Forward to Working with Lawmakers on a Balanced Approach to Patent Reform

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today issued the following statement after the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship (PATENT) Act of 2015 was introduced in the Senate by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Judiciary Committee members Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

NVCA Reiterates Concerns with Innovation Act Ahead of House Judiciary Committee Hearing

All Press Releases, Patent Reform April 14, 2015/by actualize

Sends Letter to Committee Outlining Concerns with Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today issued the following statement concerning H.R. 9, The Innovation Act of 2015, ahead of a House Judiciary Committee hearing today on the legislation.

“As the old adage goes, the devil is in the detail. The more our membership digs into the details of H.R. 9, the more concerned they become with the unintended consequences that will impact entrepreneurship and dry up innovation,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. “In particular, our membership is growing increasingly concerned that the fee shifting provision will have a devastating impact on startup companies trying to enforce their patents against incumbents and on small companies facing legal challenges by their larger, well-financed competitors. This blunt instrument gives a tremendous advantage to large, incumbent companies and will have a far greater impact on the ability of entrepreneurs to defend their intellectual property than it will on curbing patent troll behavior.”

NVCA Announces Support for STRONG Patents Act of 2015

All Press Releases, Patent Reform, Public Policy March 3, 2015/by actualize

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today announced its support for the STRONG Patents Act of 2015 after the legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

“The right to protect one’s ideas is a bedrock principle of our country and a vital component to the health and well-being of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. I commend Senator Coons and his colleagues for introducing legislation that will bring appropriate reforms to our patent system,” said Bobby Franklin, President & CEO of NVCA. Read more

Patent Attorney Robert Taylor Represents NVCA at Congressional Hearing on Patent Litigation Reform

All Press Releases, Patent Reform, Public Policy February 12, 2015/by actualize

Raises Concerns with Innovation Act and Emphasizes Importance of Maintaining Strong Patent Protections for Entrepreneurs

WASHINGTON, DC – Robert Taylor, Founder and Owner of RPT Legal Strategies PC, an intellectual consulting firm in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, testified today on behalf of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet at a hearing to discuss recent Supreme Court cases related to patent enforcement.

During testimony, Taylor walked lawmakers through the role that venture capital plays in fueling the innovation economy and emphasized the importance of strong patent protections to promote the health and vitality of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“[M]aking it more costly to enforce patents in order to combat abusive litigation will have the unintended consequence of diminishing—if not extinguishing—the only true incentive that thousands of innovators presently have to invest the necessary time, money and other resources needed to create a new company from scratch,” said Taylor in his written testimony. Read more

Venture Industry Raises Concerns with Goodlatte Patent Litigation Reform Bill

All Press Releases, Patent Reform February 5, 2015/by actualize

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) issued the following statement today after Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced his patent litigation reform bill, the Innovation Act. Other original co-sponsors of the bill include Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

“We appreciate Chairman Goodlatte and his colleagues for reintroducing the Innovation Act and believe it includes several helpful provisions to curb abuses in patent litigation. However, as was the case when the bill passed the House during the last Congress, we have concerns with certain provisions in the bill which we believe would make patent enforcement so risky and expensive that it could dry up innovation in certain sectors,” said Bobby Franklin, President & CEO of NVCA. Read more

NVCA Welcomes Passage of TROL Act by Energy and Commerce Subcommittee

All Press Releases, Patent Reform, Public Policy July 10, 2014/by actualize

Bill strikes right balance of preventing bad behavior while protecting patent holders

ARLINGTON, VA – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) issued the following statement today after the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade passed the Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters (TROL) Act of 2014. Read more