HBA for Patent Reform

Earlier this summer KCHBA joined the national coalition “United for Patent Reform” in support of federal patent trolling legislation.  Patent trolls, which bring frivolous lawsuits against businesses while not actually manufacturing anything themselves, cost the economy billions both indirectly and directly each year.  They send threatening letters asserting patent infringement claims with the goal of collecting large settlements.  Patent trolls are hurting home builders and other Main Street businesses across the region. For example, they have sued home builders for using fans to dry out a house frame or scanning documents to their computers.

H.R. 9, also known as the Innovation Act, is a federal bill that would protect the rights of real patent holders while making bad faith assertions of patent infringement punishable by law.  There is strong support in Congress for the Innovation Act; it just needs to get to a vote.  Contact your members of Congress to encourage this happens quickly.  A list of talking points and Congressional office information is available upon request to Katie@kchba.org.