WASHINGTON (July 30, 2024) – The Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) celebrates the introduction of the Realizing Engineering, Science, and Technology Opportunities by Restoring Exclusive (RESTORE) Patent Rights Act of 2024 in both the Senate and House today, and praises the original sponsors, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Representatives Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA), and co-sponsors, Hank Johnson (D-GA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), and Chip Roy (R-TX).
“Right now, IP thieves can get away with a slap on the wrist, knowing they’ll likely face only a one-time fee, even if found liable,” said David Kappos, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2009 to 2013. “The RESTORE Act changes that. The legislation protects inventors’ fundamental right to turn their own groundbreaking ideas into real-world products.”
The RESTORE Act aims to realign patent law with the U.S. Constitution and the Patent Act’s promise of “exclusive rights” to inventors. This bipartisan bill seeks to restore injunctive relief — court orders that stop infringers from utilizing patented technology — in response to the Supreme Court’s 2006 eBay v. MercExchange decision. That ruling substantially curtailed the granting of such injunctions, effectively denying exclusive rights to many inventors and diluting them for all others.
“To lead the world in the technologies of the future, America must first protect its inventions at home,” said Andrei Iancu, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2018 to 2021. “Inventors cannot effectively protect their inventions without the ability to exclude. The RESTORE Act defends American innovation from unlawful infringement, safeguarding our economy and national security.”
The Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) strongly supports this legislation, viewing it as a pivotal moment for American innovation. The bill promises to ensure a more just patent legal system by addressing the breakage caused by the 2006 Supreme Court decision.
“Inventors who fall victim to infringement can’t necessarily be made whole through a payout — they need courts to stop infringement in its tracks,” said Frank Cullen, executive director of C4IP. “It’s time for Congress to stand up for U.S. innovators by passing the RESTORE Patent Rights Act of 2024.”
C4IP’s letter to House Judiciary Committee leadership in support of restoring injunctive relief can be found here.
About 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.