Universities switch sides on patent reform bill

University groups that only months ago opposed patent reform legislation in Congress are now endorsing a measure that has passed through Congress and will be signed into law by President Obama on 16 September.

In an 8 September statement, six academic research organisations—including the Association of American Universities, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Association of University Technology Managers—described the America Invests Act as a “thorough, balanced measure” that would bring the US patent system into the 21st century.