WASHINGTON (May 1, 2025) — Today, the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) applauded Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and Representatives Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) for reintroducing the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA).
For over a decade, a series of Supreme Court decisions have created uncertainty around patent eligibility, making it increasingly difficult for U.S. innovators to protect groundbreaking discoveries. PERA would restore clarity and predictability to the patent system, ensuring inventors can secure the protections they need to drive American innovation forward.
“Inventors, startups, and research institutions all rely on a strong patent system to bring new ideas to life,” said Frank Cullen, executive director of C4IP. “PERA ensures that U.S. innovators have the legal certainty they need to transform discoveries into real-world solutions.”
If enacted, PERA would establish key reforms, including:
- Clarifying that important categories of inventions in critical fields like life sciences diagnostics and computer-implemented innovations are eligible for patent protection.
- Incentivizing investment in innovation and strengthening America’s leadership in science and technology by providing clear patent eligibility standards.
“Congress has not made substantive changes to what subject matter is patentable in the United States since the Patent Act of 1793, making it difficult for courts, inventors, and the public to understand how 21st-century technologies fit within an 18th Century patent statute,” said Andrei Iancu, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2018 to 2021. “I commend Congress for advancing PERA in order to finally modernize our patent laws and promote U.S. global leadership in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and other modern technologies.”
“PERA provides the clarity needed to unlock the full potential of cutting-edge technologies and solidify U.S. leadership in scientific and technological breakthroughs,” said David Kappos, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2009 to 2013. “We cannot allow legal uncertainty to stall the next wave of American innovation.”
C4IP commends Senators Tillis and Coons and Representatives Kiley and Peters for recognizing the urgent need for reform and taking bipartisan action to strengthen America’s intellectual property system. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation to embolden American innovation.
C4IP’s full analysis of the bill is available here.
About the Council for Innovation Promotion: The Council for Innovation Promotion is a bipartisan coalition dedicated to promoting strong and effective intellectual property rights that drive innovation, boost economic competitiveness, and improve lives everywhere.