BIO Thanks Senate Judiciary Leaders for Advancing Patent Reform

Washington, D.C. (March 4, 2010) – Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO Jim Greenwood released the following statement on the manager’s amendment released today by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT):

“The new manager’s amendment contains many positive changes to the underlying patent reform legislation reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last April, which BIO supported.  While we continue to review the proposal in full detail with the Judiciary Committee and our members, the latest amendment makes several important and well-crafted improvements to the overall bill.  The proposal represents a significant step forward towards meaningful patent reform that will help  sustain America’s global leadership in innovation and spur the creation of high-wage, high-value jobs in our nation’s innovation economy. 

“BIO thanks Senator Leahy along with Senators Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) for their continuing hard work in crafting a consensus-oriented bill to improve the U.S. patent system for all users.  We remain steadfast in our commitment to work with all Members of Congress as patent reform moves forward for further consideration.”

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO-Europe Spring
March 8-10, 2010
Barcelona, Spain

BIO Intellectual Property Counsels Spring Conference and Committee Meeting
April 19-21, 2010
New Orleans, LA 

Partnering for Global Health
May 3, 2010
Chicago, IL

BIO International Convention
May 3-6, 2010
Chicago, IL

2010 BIO Human Resources Conference
May 4-7, 2010
Chicago, IL 

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing
June 27-30, 2010
Washington, DC

BIO’s Livestock Biotechnology Summit
September 28-30, 2010,
Sioux Falls, SD 

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

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