WASHINGTON (September 6, 2024) — Today, Representatives Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This follows the introduction of complementary legislation in the U.S. Senate by Senators Thom Tillis and Chris Coons in June 2023.
The Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP) strongly supports PERA, which would make long-overdue reforms to clarify the categories of inventions eligible for patent protection. These reforms are necessary to eliminate uncertainty caused by a series of Supreme Court decisions.
“The introduction of PERA in the House is a pivotal moment for American inventors,” said David Kappos and Andrei Iancu, C4IP Board Co-Chairs and former Under Secretaries of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Directors of the USPTO. “By establishing a clear legal framework, PERA will empower inventors to push the boundaries of innovation with confidence, driving forward the next generation of transformative technologies and life-saving medicines.”
If enacted, PERA would implement several critical reforms, including:
- Clarifying that important categories of inventions in fields like medical diagnostics and computer-implemented technologies are eligible for patent protection
- Incentivizing investment in innovation by providing clear patent eligibility standards
“Without clear patent eligibility standards, the future of U.S. innovation hangs in the balance,” stated Judge Paul Michel (ret.) and Judge Kathleen O’Malley (ret.), C4IP Board Members and former Judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. “The clarity provided by PERA will be a catalyst for advancements in cutting-edge fields like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, keeping the United States at the forefront of global technological progress.”
C4IP commends Representatives Kiley and Peters for their demonstrated commitment to nurturing a strong national IP system that drives innovation and creative output, boosts economic competitiveness, and improves lives everywhere — a key pillar of C4IP’s Congressional Innovation Scorecard.
“PERA is essential to advancing the U.S. economy, strengthening national security, and maintaining the United States’ global leadership in technology and medical diagnostics,” said Frank Cullen, C4IP Executive Director. “This bill will solidify the future of a robust U.S. innovation ecosystem and support the inventors whose groundbreaking work results in tangible, market-changing products.”
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.