Who are the key stakeholders involved in the debate?
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Last updated 7/8/2015
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Abusive patent litigation has impacted many industries
including those that aren’t traditionally involved in patent policy.
Therefore, the current patent litigation reform debate has brought
stakeholders from a broad cross section of the U.S. economy. Many
traditional stakeholders such as the technology companies are
represented through groups including the Internet Association, the
Coalition for Patent Fairness, the Consumer Electronics Association, the Business Software Alliance, and the
Innovation Alliance. Other industry groups are also active in the
debate including the Intellectual Property Owners Association,
Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America, and universities and inventor groups. Groups
such as United for Patent Reform and the Coalition for 21st Century
Patent Reform have members across industries.
However, today
there are non-traditional main street businesses involved through groups
such as the National Restaurant Association, the National Retail
Federation, the National Association of Realtors, the American Hotel
& Lodging Association, the American Bankers Association, and
Printing Industries of America, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and
others. Intellectual property attorneys are represented through bar
associations such as AIPLA, the American Bar Association – Intellectual
Property Law Section, and the Federal Circuit Bar Association. The
debate also has sparked the interest of individual inventors, engineers,
venture capitalists, and the higher education community.