Most of this page is about the America Invents Act, which, unfortunately, passed in 2011. Some of this is on the 2015 failed legislation aimed at the "troll problem," which remains relevant since many of the bogus arguments are still in circulation. Since the forces of darkness continue to lobby for the weakening of the patent system, so most of this remains relevant.

On 3/5/20, I gave a Keynote speech at the Center for IP Understanding (CIPU)'s IP Awareness Summit: "The Roll [sic] of Patents In Corporate America" (30 minutes). Also at https://bit.ly/TechlashMisdirection. It provides a good overview of the issues. There is a sequel, which is mostly new material, delivered on 9/23/22: Sequel: The Roll [sic] of Patents In Corporate America (part Duh (as in deux)), which is only 9 minutes.

A Startup Perspective: The Steady Bulldozing of Patent rights; presentation by Dr. Ron Katznelson at the Technology Policy Institute, Washington D.C., 2/11/15 https://techpolicyinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/a-startup-perspective-the-stea-2007706.pdf

10/24/15: Joe Nocera, NYT: "Opinion | The Patent Troll Smokescreen"
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/24/opinion/the-patent-troll-smokescreen.html

12/14/19: The Economist: "The Trouble With Patent Troll Hunting": https://www.economist.com/business/2019/12/14/the-trouble-with-patent-troll-hunting

Fox Business News coverage of signing of Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (patent reform) on 9/16/11. Interviewed me (GML) (4:16):
_{^{http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HBxWCyu7vU}}
Gary's 4-minute speech at the Aspen Ideas Festival in early July:

WP: "Patent reform measure ignited fierce lobbying effort" (exposes the vast sums the proponents are spending)

_{^{http://www.washingtonpost.com/capital_business/2011/03/25/AFzD9VkB_story.html}}

Source of information on the monies that flowed to congress associated with the bill:
_{^{http://maplight.org/us-congress/bill/112-hr-1249/990582/total-contributions
http://maplight.org/us-congress/bill/112-s-23/897262/total-contributions}}

National Venture Capital Association position (against):

_{^{http://nvcatoday.nvca.org/index.php/policy/nvca-sends-letter-on-house-patent-reform-bill.html}}

Judge Paul Michel: "Rein in the Big Bank Bail-Out" 7/7/11

^{_{http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2011/07/guest-post-rein-in-the-big-bank-bail-out.html}}

Andrew Ross Sorkin/DealB%k: "In a Bill, Wall Street Shows Its Clout" 7/4/11

_{^{http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/in-a-bill-wall-street-shows-clout/}}
Jonathan Massey: Section 18 of H.R. 1249 Would Bail Out Banks and Expose the Treasury to Billion-Dollar Liability
_{^{http://www.scribd.com/doc/57945157/Jonathan-Massey-Section-18-of-H-R-1249-Would-Bail-Out-Banks-and-Expose-the-Treasury-to-Billion-Dollar-Liability}}

Good telling of the Data Treasury story (what motivated the bank provisions of the AIA) in "Patent Reform a Sham: Data Treasury Story Exposes True Motives" 6/6/11
 ^{http://hallingblog.com/patent-reform-a-sham-data-treasury-story-exposes-true-motives/}

Post-Grant Review (PGR):

Judge Paul Michel on Post-Grant Review (PGR): "Torpedoing Patent Rights" 7/11/11

_{^{http://ipwatchdog.com/2011/07/10/torpedoing-patent-rights/id=18022/?}}

Former Senator Birch Bayh on the misuse of EXISTING post-grant review procedures (7/11/11):

"The Use and Abuse of Patent Reexamination: Sham Petitioning Before the USPTO" by Raymond A. Mercado in Columbia Science & Technology Law Review, March 10, 2011
^{_{http://www.stlr.org/html/volume12/mercado.pdf}}

Wikipedia:

The most comprehensive coverage - even though it under-represented the proponents' views - was the Wikipedia page from the summer of 2011. Since then it has been attacked by the bill's proponents. Old page (7/19/11)(better): _{^{http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=America_Invents_Act&oldid=440219858}}
Current page (who knows what inaccuracy today brings):

_{^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Invents_Act}}

Comparison of Wikipedia page from 8/12 to 9/9:
_{^{http://www.lauderpartners.com/PatentReform/Wikipedia_entry_for_The_America_Invents_Act-comparison_of_8_12 to 9_9_11.doc}}
(opens a Word doc.)

Small Business Organizations Urge Substantial Amendments to House Version of Patent Bill

_{^{http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110621005690/en/Small-Business-Organizations-Urge-Substantial-Amendments-House}}

_{^{http://j.mp/SB-Objection}}

Several Universities Oppose Pending "Patent Reform" Legislation

_{^{http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/several-universities-oppose-pending-patent-reform-legislation/34091}}

Detailed letter from one of those universities:

_{^{http://www.warf.org/uploads/media/WARF__HR_1249_Disfavors_Innovators_06-01-11.pdf}}

Two former Chairs of the House Judiciary Committee

_{^{http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/lawmaker-news/167549-patent-reform-is-long-overdue}}

Article on how the bill won't solve the backlog and will probably worsen it:

_{^{http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=aa2f3083-8e03-422c-b7b3-e13e2e5a56cf}}

Article by Chinese IP judge on prior bill that is mostly the same as this one.  Last page is perfect summary:

_{^{http://www.lauderpartners.com/PatentReform/071107-China_Intellectual_Property_News_Certified.pdf}}

Source of information on the monies that flowed to congress associated with the bill:

_{^{http://maplight.org/us-congress/bill/112-hr-1249/990582/total-contributions}}

_{^{http://maplight.org/us-congress/bill/112-s-23/897262/total-contributions}}

National Small Business Assoc. (NSBA) opposition: 

_{^{http://www.nsba.biz/content/4012.shtml}}

Inventor of MRI: Ray Damadian's critique: "Patents Shrugged Redux" 6/16/11

_{^{http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/72680.html?wlc=1308294830}}

Foreign Policy Magazine: "The Prevent American Invention Act" by Clyde Prestowitz, 5/16/11 

_{^{http://prestowitz.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/16/the_prevent_american_invention_act}}

Another overview article: Patent Reform Favors Corporations, Multinationals

_{^{http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58714&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=1}}

Another venture capitalist opines on the passage of AIA:
American Innovators Lose Big in Newly Passed Patent Bill, by Robert Nelsen on 9/9/11
_{^{http://www.xconomy.com/national/2011/09/09/patent-bill-continues-the-assault-on-american-innovators/}}

Brookings article on bill that does not take a position but is revealing: "Balancing Disclosure, Protection of Trade Secrets, and Patentability in Light of Patent Reform"

_{^{http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2011/0627_patents_villasenor.aspx}}

Two papers on the problem w/the Grace Period by Dr. Ron Katznelson:

_{^{http://bit.ly/Grace-Period-USA}}

How we got here: "Section 2 of America Invents Act: the undisclosed story of legislative obfuscation":
_{^{http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?filename=1&article=1057&context=rkatznelson&type=additional&sei-redir=1}}
Letter from semiconductor manufacturers regarding contract manufacturing triggering "on-sale" bar:
_{^{http://www.lauderpartners.com/PatentReform/SemiconLetter}}

In 2010, an ENTIRE issue of Medical Innovation & Business magazine was devoted to patent reform - against it.  I have never before seen an entire issue of magazine dedicated to stopping bad legislation:

_{^{http://journals.lww.com/medinnovbusiness/Fulltext/2010/06010/}}

(I wrote one article in it)

URL's are self-explanatory:

_{^{http://gametimeip.com/2011/03/04/can-we-have-an-intellectually-honest-patent-reform-debate-in-the-house/}}

_{^{http://gametimeip.com/2011/04/07/patent-reform-boosters-invent-facts-to-combat-real-arguments/}}

_{^{http://gametimeip.com/2011/05/30/america-invents-act-un-american-patent-reform/}}

_{^{http://www.patentlyo.com/files/the-big-government-patent-bill.pdf}}

Hoover Institution:  6/7-13/11

The Perils of Patent Reform _{^{http://www.hoover.org/publications/defining-ideas/article/81446}}

Welcome to Patent Purgatory _{^{http://www.hoover.org/publications/defining-ideas/article/81626}}

Patent Reform Goes Haywire _{^{http://www.hoover.org/publications/defining-ideas/article/81961}}

File First, Invent Later? _{^{http://www.hoover.org/publications/defining-ideas/article/82096}}

NY Times, "Two Views of Innovation, Colliding in Washington" By John Markoff, 1/13/08 It is still quite relevant, particularly as it applies to the law of unintended consequences: ^{_{http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/business/13stream.html?pagewanted=print}}

Article that rebuts many of the myths promulgated by the proponents, particularly the myth that patent law has not changed much since 1952.
_{^{http://saveourjobs.net/articles/america-under-attack/}}


Foreign Patent Systems' Problems:
Example of how foreign patent systems, whom we are supposed to harmonize with, are not serving the needs of small companies:
_{^{http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-09/smeia-red-hat-google-adidas-pepsico-intellectual-property.html}}
Incorrect link in that article should have linked to: _{^{http://www.smeia.org/smeia-org/_img/PM-letter.pdf}}
European study published in 2009: "Lost property: The European patent system and why it doesn't work."
_{^{http://www.bruegel.org/publications/publication-detail/publication/312-lost-property-the-european-patent-system-and-why-it-doesnt-work}}
This is whom we are "harmonizing" with?
"Inventor fury as patents prove too costly to defend," By Richard Tyler in The Telegraph (UK), 3/8/12
 _{^{http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/9130815/Inventor-fury-as-patents-prove-too-costly-to-defend.html}}
"Patent Reform: One Giant Step Backwards?" by Dale L. Carlson in The National Law Journal, September 02, 2011:
_{^{http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleFriendlyCC.jsp?id=1202513148515}}
Canada changed from FTI to FTF in 1989 and experienced a measurable "adverse effect on domestic-oriented industries and skewed the ownership structure of patented inventions towards large corporations, away from independent inventors and small businesses.":
"Does it Matter Who Has the Right to Patent: First-to-Invent or First-to-File? Lessons from Canada," April 2009, NBER Working Paper No. w14926
_{^{http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1394833#%23}}
6 days prior to the bill's passage, two U.of Pa. professors released this study that found "a significant drop in the fraction of patents granted to small inventors in Canada coincident with the implementation of the change over to the "first-to-file" law.":
_{^{https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/news/1980-new-penn-study-america-invents-act-of-2011--likely}}
A 2010 study found that "long-term returns in the Canadian venture capital industry are such that capital has fled the market." Canadian Venture Capital Industry Review, P.6 (released 2/11)
_{^{http://www.bdc.ca/EN/Documents/other/VC_Industry_Review_EN.pdf}}
Dale L. Carlson on the Experience of Other Countries with Post Grant Reviews and its Implication for the America Invents (not) Act
_{^{http://hallingblog.com/?p=1432}}
"'Europe is facing an innovation emergency' - Commissioner warns"
_{^{http://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/item/24074-europe-is-facing-an/}}
Figures reveal 'failing' patent system By James Hurley in The Telegraph (UK), 4/2/12
_{^{http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/9181842/Figures-reveal-failing-patent-system.html}}

The other side of tightening the "patent quality filter" is to cause legitimate patents to be denied. This is far more prevalent than trolls suing, but they receive less attention:
The Great Patent Debate: The Untold Story, 8/19/11
_{^{http://hallingblog.com/the-great-patent-debate-the-untold-story/}}
I used to be against trolls until I read this. It's the best thing written on the subject that I have read:
"Defending the Patent Troll: Why these Allegedly Nefarious Companies are Actually Beneficial to Innovation,"The Journal of Private Equity (Fall 2007).
_{^{http://www.iijournals.com/doi/abs/10.3905/jpe.2007.694790}}
Unfortunately, that article is behind the most onerous pay-wall ($45) AND anti-copying hurdles (after you have purchased) that I've ever seen.

Patents Pending | A Journal Sentinel Watchdog REPORT
Patent rejections soar as pressure on agency rises: Penalized for flawed approvals, examiners keep pace - and pay - by refusing applications
By John Schmid and Ben Poston of the Journal Sentinel (8/16/09)
_{^{http://www.jsonline.com/business/53367952.html}}
Patent Reform Passes but Relief for Examiner Corps is Still Pending as USPTO Churns through Staff
_{^{http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/426535}}

"The America Invents Act's Patent Reform Might Strengthen Patent Trolls" 7/27/11
^{_{http://www.litigationandtrial.com/2011/07/articles/attorney/patent-infringement/the-america-invents-act-and-patent-trolls/}}

Good history of the bill: "The America Invents Act - How it All Went Down" on IP Watchdog 9/20/11 by Manus Cooney of American Continental Group
_{^{http://ipwatchdog.com/2011/09/20/the-america-invents-act-how-it-all-went-down/}}

Certainty?
Many proponents claim that the AIA will bring certainty. Perhaps in some questions, but it raises a great many more. These just touch on just a few. (More to come):
"The "Matrix" for First-Inventor-To-File: An Experimental Investigation into Proposed Changes in US Patent Law" summarized in Patently-O on 12/10/09
_{^{http://www.patentlyo.com/patent/2009/12/the-matrix-for-first-inventor-to-file-an-experimental-investigation-into-proposed-changes-in-us-patent-law.html}}
Full Article at: _{^{http://ssrn.com/abstract=1518660}}
"When being first-to-file is not enough" by Courtenay Brinckerhoff of Foley & Lardner 9/20/11
_{^{http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=a981ceed-8d8f-48bb-85f4-d36b2454f4f2}}

Oldie, but goodie (and just as relevant): "Don't Change the System That Fuels Innovation," by Skip Kaltenheuser in The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) 10/19/97:
_{^{http://ipmall.info/news_activities/news_rines/rines022.asp}}

Scholarship for hire

"Paying Professors: Inside Google's Academic Influence Campaign," WSJ 7/11/17
https://www.wsj.com/articles/paying-professors-inside-googles-academic-influence-campaign-1499785286
"Did Serial Infringers Commission "Academic" Patent Study To Support Widespread Infringement?" in Gametime IP 9/20/11:
_{^{http://gametimeip.com/2011/09/20/did-serial-infringers-commission-academic-patent-study-to-support-widespread-infringement/}}
Criticism of a forthcoming paper that appears to be intended help undermine our patent system: "A Critique of Mark Lemley's "The Myth of the Sole Inventor" by John Howells & Ron D. Katznelson
_{^{http://bitly.com/Lemley-Critique}}
Congressional Research Service's 35-page report on the bill.  One of the authors (John Thomas) was on IBM's payroll and has shown a pattern of bias in favor:

_{^{http://pub.bna.com/ptcj/HR1249CRSJun30.pdf}}

_{^{http://www.bna.com/crs-updates-report-n12884902369/}}

John Thomas's long association with IBM:

_{^{http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=%22Thomas,+John+R.%22+or+%22John+R.+Thomas%22+IBM&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8}}

His decade-old backgrounder on international patent law (interesting, but not opined on here):

_{^{http://wikileaks.org/wiki/CRS-RL31132}}

_{^{http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL31132_20010831.pdf}}

Detailed Analyses of the Bill:
"COMPARISON OF SELECTED SECTIONS OF PRE-AIA AND AIA U.S. PATENT LAW." by Intellectual Property Owners Association
_{^{http://www.ipo.org/AIACHART}}
Detailed critical analysis of bill: "Objective analysis of HR 1249 America Invents Act patent reform (S23 modified)" by Bruce E. Burdick
_{^{http://www.burdlaw.com/blog/?p=217}}
THE 2011 PATENT LAW: Law and Practice: An Analysis of the Leahy Smith America Invents Act, Pub. L. 112-___ (H.R. 1249) as enacted 9/16/11
by Harold C. Wegner of Foley & Lardner LLP (176 Pages)
_{^{http://www.grayonclaims.com/storage/PatentLaw2011secondedition.pdf}}
USPTO's summary of the bill's sections: _{^{http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/section_summary_26jul2011.pdf}}

Detailed legal analysis of the bill that passed (61 pages):
_{^{http://www.neifeld.com/TheNewPatentLawsEnacted9-2011.pdf}}
Bill itself: _{^{http://pub.bna.com/ptcj/HR1249VotedJun23.pdf}}

The bill's Grace Period language is quite confusing. Compare the bill section 102 (p. 5-9) with the existing Grace Period law:
^{http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/documents/appxl_35_U_S_C_102.htm}  

See if you can figure out the double/triple negatives.  The proponents created a deception that takes advantage of the confusion to state that the bill means the opposite of what it really says.  The colloquies on this claim the bill means the opposite of what it actually says.  Courts hold that the bill always supersedes the colloquies.
Senate Colloquy:
_{^{http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-03-09/pdf/CREC-2011-03-09-pt1-PgS1496.pdf#page=1}}

House colloquy:
_{^{http://www.lauderpartners.com/PatentReform/House_Colloquy_of_6_22_2011_Between_Smith_&_Bass.pdf}}

Web sites against:

^{_{http://www.reformaia.org/
http://saveourjobs.net}}

^{_{http://www.patentreformact.org/ (defunct)}}

^{_{http://sanepatentreform.org/}}

^{_{http://inventionsarejobs.org/}}

^{_{http://www.inventsact.org/ (defunct)}}

^{_{http://www.piausa.org/
http://inventorsvoice.com/}}

^{_{http://www.jobsnotbanks.com/ (defunct)
http://ohiopatleg.wordpress.com/}}

The movie, "Flash of Genius" was based on a book about Robert Kearns, who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, and his struggle w/Ford to get paid after they ripped off his invention.  It is a perfect example of what entrepreneurs face and what we are fighting to keep.  If you have not seen it, I recommend it. 

DVD: _{^{http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Genius-Greg-Kinnear/dp/B001LM64S8/}}

iTunes: _{^{http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/flash-of-genius/id300387673}}

Amazon Instant Video: _{^{http://www.amazon.com/Flash-of-Genius/dp/B001O514F0/}}

Roger Ebert review (3 stars out of 4): _{^{http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081002/REVIEWS/810020303/1023}}

Book: Flash of Genius: And Other True Stories of Invention  (by John Seabrook Paperback - Sep 2, 2008)

_{^{http://www.amazon.com/Flash-Genius-Other-Stories-Invention/dp/B003R4ZHTK/}}

New Yorker article that tells the story (also by John Seabrook)(about 23 pages when printed out): 

_{^{http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1993/01/11/1993_01_11_038_TNY_CARDS_000363341?printable=true}}

Please call your senators (and any others) to express your disapproval of this bill.  Their phone #'s can be found at:

_{^{http://www.reformaia.org/call}} TOO LATE. IT PASSED ON 9/8/11.