Microsoft voices support for passage of the Innovation Act

Posted by Horacio Gutierrez
Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft

Thursday's overwhelming bipartisan House vote to pass the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309) marks a significant milestone toward enactment of common-sense reforms to curb abusive patent litigation. Abusive patent lawsuits create a heavy burden on the U.S. economy — slowing innovation, undermining competitiveness and stunting economic growth.

H.R. 3309 addresses this urgent problem by striking a balance that deters bad actors while protecting intellectual property rights. At its core, the bill reduces the financial incentives for rogue players to pursue abusive patent litigation through calibrated measures that provide for fee shifting, curbing discovery abuse, requiring precision in claims of infringement, and promoting transparency in patent ownership. 

Microsoft applauds the House action and Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and his committee for their leadership. We will continue to work with lawmakers toward enactment of legislation that reduces abusive litigation, improves America’s patent system, and protects the 55 million jobs supported by IP-intensive industries.