ALEXANDRIA, Va. – In a session today, the Senate Judiciary Committee will markup S. 1137, the Protecting American Talent and Entrepreneurship Act (PATENT Act), a bill which will address the serious threat to our country’s economy by patent trolls. The so-called trolls bully American businesses, including many convenience stores, with deceptive and often illegitimate claims of patent infringement.

“American businesses are under attack from abusive patent trolls that are misusing the nation’s patent litigation system for their own financial gain,” said Paige Anderson, NACS director of government relations. “All too frequently, convenience store owners receive vague and threatening patent demand letters that try to shake them down for money by threatening litigation should the recipient refuse to pay off the troll.”

“We appreciate the tireless efforts of the bill's cosponsors: Senators Grassley, Leahy, Cornyn, Schumer, Hatch, Lee and Klobuchar to move the bill forward and look forward to working with the Committee to strengthen provisions that protect small businesses, which do not have the resources to fight patent trolls on their own,” said Anderson.

The United for Patent Reform (UFPR) coalition, of which NACS is an executive member, has also expressed its commitment to passage of the PATENT Act, pointing out that litigation from patent trolls has cost the U.S economy half a trillion dollars over the past 20 years. “UFPR is grateful to the Committee for recognizing the scope of the damage caused by patent trolls and the need for Congress to take swift action to address the issue with a package of reforms designed to inhibit the business model of a patent troll and create a fair legal system for American businesses,” stated UFPR in a press release leading up to today’s markup.

Read more in NACS Magazine about why NACS became involved in the patent trolls issue.