STOP Act

Bill: 113-hr-2766
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49]
Introduced: 2013-07-22
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Financial services and investments

Intellectual property

Lawyers and legal services
Latest action: action_date: 2013-09-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-07-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p> Stopping the Offensive Use of Patents Act or the STOP Act - Amends the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act to remove the eight-year sunset provision with respect to the transitional post-grant review program available to review the validity of covered business method patents, thereby making the program permanent.</p> <p>Expands the term &quot;covered business method patent&quot; to include a patent that claims a method or corresponding apparatus for performing data processing or other operations used in the practice, administration, or management of any enterprise, product, or service, except technological inventions. (Current law limits the program to financial products or services.) </p> <p>Requires the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property) to work with and support intellectual property law associations throughout the United States, within established pro bono programs, to assist financially under-resourced resellers, users, implementers, distributors, or customers of an allegedly infringing product or process.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2766 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 22, 2013 Mr. Issa (for himself and Ms. Chu ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To make improvements to the transitional program for covered business method patents, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stopping the Offensive Use of Patents Act or the STOP Act . 2. Improvements to transitional program for covered business method patents (a) In general Section 18 of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act ( 35 U.S.C. 321 note) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (3); and (2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking a financial product or and inserting an enterprise, a product, or a . (b) Effective date (1) Removal of sunset The amendment made by paragraph (1) of subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Definition of covered business method patent The amendment made by paragraph (2) of subsection (a) shall apply as if included in the enactment of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. 3. Expansion of pro bono program at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (a) In general The Director of the Office shall work with and support intellectual property law associations throughout the United States, within established pro bono programs, to assist financially under-resourced resellers, users, implementers, distributors, or customers of an allegedly infringing product or process. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Director The term Director means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. (2) Office The term Office means the United States Patent and Trademark Office.