Source: http://www.techlawjournal.com/alert/2005/04/25.asp
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 10:26:34+00:00

Document:
TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1,122, April 25, 2005.
April 25, 2005, 9:00 AM ET, Alert No. 1,122.
4/20. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property held a hearing titled "Oversight Hearing on Committee Print Regarding Patent Quality Improvement". The Subcommittee discussed, and heard testimony on, the Committee Print of HR __ [52 pages in PDF], the "Patent Act of 2005".
4/20. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property (CIIP) held a hearing on the Committee Print of HR __ [52 pages in PDF], the "Patent Act of 2005". While the Committee Print is 52 pages, and includes numerous proposals for changes to patent law and procedure, it also does not address many other proposals for change, including items that have been in recent bills. The following is an overview of some of the items that are not in the Committee Print.
Research Exemption to Infringement. The Committee Print does not address a research exemption to patent infringement.
The Patent Act, at 35 U.S.C. § 271(e) contains a narrowly worded exemption from liability for patent infringement for certain research related to certain drugs. The scope of this exemption is the subject of Merck KGaA v. Integra LifeSciences I. On January 7, 2005, the Supreme Court granted certiorari. See, Order List [2 pages in PDF], at page 1. See also, story titled "Supreme Court Takes Case Involving Research Exemption to Patent Infringement" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 1.053, January 11, 2005.
USPTO Funding and Fee Diversion. There have been many recommendations regarding providing the USPTO adequate funding, especially for hiring and training more examiners, and reducing workloads, to enable it to issue better patents and reduce patent pendency. There are also proposals to eliminate the Congress' practice of diverting USPTO user fees to subsidize other government programs, thereby depriving the USPTO of funding. This would also end a de facto tax on innovators.
The membership of the House Judiciary Committee has worked diligently, though largely without success, to pass legislation to address these problems. However, the Committee Print does not address these funding issues.
11th Amendment Immunity of State University Systems. Members of Congress have attempted, unsuccessfully, in prior Congresses to pass legislation that would undo the consequences the Supreme Court's opinion in Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank. In addition, private universities have advocated, with little sympathy outside of academic circles, that they should have the same sort of immunity as state universities. The Committee Print does not address 11th Amendment immunity.
That is, pursuant the the Supreme Court's strained interpretation of sovereign immunity and 11th Amendment immunity, states have sovereign immunity in state and federal courts against money damages suits for intellectual property infringements. Of course, states remain free to sue for damages for infringement of their patents and copyrights. See, the opinions of the Supreme Court in Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida, holding that the Congress lacks authority under Article I of the Constitution to abrogate the States' 11th Amendment immunity from suit in federal courts, Florida Prepaid, invalidating the Patent and Plant Variety Protection Remedy Clarification Act, and College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, invalidating the Trademark Remedy Clarification Act.
See for example, stories titled "Legislators Introduce Bills to Address Infringement by States" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 302, November 6, 2001; "Sen. Leahy Reintroduces Bill to Close 11th Amendment Loophole to IPR" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 394, March 22, 2002; "Senate Judiciary Committee Considers Federalism and Intellectual Property" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 522, October 3, 2002; and "Legislators Re-Introduce Bills to Address State IPR Sovereign Immunity" in TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No. 680, June 13, 2003.
Federal Circuit. There have been various proposals regarding the Federal Circuit's practices, procedures, use of scholarly works and amicus briefs, and appointments. See for example, recommendation number 1 of the NAS report and recommendation number 10 of the FTC report. However, the Committee Print does not address any of these topics.
The Senate will meet at 2:00 PM. It will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to HR 3, the highway bill.
1:30 PM. The Senate Judiciary Committee's (SJC) Intellectual Property Committee has scheduled hearing titled "Perspectives on Patents". The SJC frequently cancels hearings without notice. The SJC has twice postponed this hearing. The scheduled witnesses are Jon Dudas (Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), Richard Levin (President of Yale University and National Research Council), Mark Myers (University of Pennsylvania and National Research Council), William Parker (Diffraction, Ltd.), David Simon (Chief Patent Counsel of Intel), Robert Armitage (Eli Lilly and Company), Joel Poppen (Micron Technologies), and Michael Kirk (American Intellectual Property Law Association). Press contact: Blain Rethmeier (Specter) at 202 224-5225, David Carle (Leahy) at 202 224-4242 or Tracy Schmaler (Leahy) at 202 224-2154. Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.
The House will meet at 12:30 PM for morning hour, and at 2:00 PM for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 PM. The House will consider several items under suspension of the rules, including HR 28, the "High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005". See, Republican Whip Notice.
10:00 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold another in its series of oversight hearings on the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act. This hearing will focus on several provisions related to electronic surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), including § 204, titled "Clarification of Intelligence Exceptions from Limitations on Interception & Disclosure of Wire, Oral & Electronic Communications", § 207, titled "Duration of FISA Surveillance of Non-United States persons who are Agents of a Foreign Power", § 214, titled "Pen Register and Trap and Trace Authority Under FISA", and § 225, titled "Immunity for Compliance with FISA Wiretap. The notice of the hearing also references "Lone Wolf". Press contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn at 202 225-2492. Location: Room 2141 Rayburn Building.
10:00 AM. The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on money services businesses under bank secrecy and USA PATRIOT Act regulation. See, notice. Location: Room 538, Dirksen Building.
2:30 PM. The House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment will hold a hearing on the committee print of a bill titled "The Homeland Security Information Sharing and Enhancement Act of 2005". Location: Room 2128, Rayburn Building.
12:15 PM. The Federal Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Online Communications Practice Committee will host a brown bag lunch titled "Cable Broadband: Brand X Round Two". The speakers will be John Butler (Sher & Blackwell, counsel for Earthlink) and a representative of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Office of General Counsel. RSVP to Wendy Parish at wendy@fcba.org. Location: Sidley Austin, 1501 K Street, NW, 6th Floor.
1:30 PM. The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet will hold a hearing titled "How Internet Protocol-Enabled Services Are Changing the Face of Communications: A View from Government Officials". See, notice. The hearing will be webcast by the Committee. Press contact: Kevin Schweers (Barton) at 202 225-5735 or Sean Bonyun (Upton) at 202 225-3761. Location: Room 2322, Rayburn Building.
9:30 AM. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold another in its series of oversight hearings on the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act. This hearing will focus on several provisions related to electronic surveillance and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), including § 206, title "Roving Surveillance Authority Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978", and § 215, titled "Access to Records and Other Items Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act". Press contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn at 202 225-2492. Location: Room 2141 Rayburn Building.
10:00 AM. The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a public hearing on S __, a bill pertaining to the use of video news releases (VNRs) by government agencies. See, notice. Press contact: Melanie Alvord (Stevens) (202) 224-8456 or Melanie_Alvord at commerce dot senate dot gov, or Andy Davis (Inouye) at 202 224-4546 or Andy_Davis at commerce dot senate dot gov Location: Room 253, Russell Building.
2:30 PM. The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism, and Homeland Security will hold another in its series of oversight hearings on the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act. This hearing will focus on § 218, titled "Foreign Intelligence Information". Press contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn at 202 225-2492. Location: Room 2141 Rayburn Building.

References: § 271
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 § 204
 § 207
 § 214
 § 225
 § 206
 § 215
 § 218