Hatch/Leahy Patent Act
Executive Summary
"American Inventors Protection Act" (S 1798) passes Senate Judiciary Committee Nov. 2 without amendment. It would guarantee 17-year patent terms for "diligent applicants," reduce patent fees and ensure that trademark fees are used only for trademark-related operations. The bill, sponsored by Committee Chairman Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Democrat Leahy (Vt.), is a "compromise version" of the 1996 Omnibus Patent Act, Hatch said. A House version of the bill was passed Aug. 4