In 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated Feb. 11 as National Inventors' Day to honor the impact inventors have had on our nation. Feb. 11 is also Thomas Edison’s birthday. As an inventor of renown, Mr. Edison held over 1,000 patents for his groundbreaking inventions. Patents of Edison and of more recent inventors have grown our economy and nation.
For over 200 years, the American patent system has given our nation’s innovators the protections needed to succeed. The patent system provides patent holders the peace of mind in doing their work knowing that their property is adequately protected. This incentivizes innovation and builds investor confidence: Both promote growth and spur job creation in Missouri and nationally.
The current patent system allows innovators to communicate freely with alleged infringers upon their patents. This communication avoids costly litigation that many innovators can not afford. It also recognizes that larger entities cannot use the property of smaller patent holders without compensating them.
A healthy patent system also keeps America at the forefront of global innovation. America faces many other countries making great strides of their own in innovation. Strong patents make it more difficult for other countries to flood the U.S. market with counterfeit goods that encroach upon the rights of hard-working American patent holders.
Congress, I would caution against adopting overly broad changes so soon after the America Invents Act. Hopefully, our lawmakers will work together to keep the current patent system while suppressing bad behavior afflicting our innovators. Inventors’ Day, Feb. 11, is ideal for Congress to consider the patent system to continue American innovation and success now and in the future.
Charles McCloskey
https://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/mailbag/patent-system-encourages-american-innovation/article_0bfd2eac-7ff2-518c-9586-d3b124ae0bd1.html