House committee recommends passage of patent reform bill

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee recommended that the full U.S. House of Representatives pass the America Invents Act (H.R. 1249) in a report published Wednesday. The report includes the full text of the amended bill and cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, as well as a dissenting view from Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.). CBO said that implementing the bill would have a discretionary cost of $446 million over the 2011-16 period. It would also decrease budget deficits by $717 million over the 2011-21 period. The bill, which the committee passed by a vote of 32-3 in April, will next be brought to the House floor, but a date has yet to be specified.

The Obama administration has expressed support for the bill, as outlined in a letter sent to the committee this week from U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. ...