Patent Quality Assistance Act of 2004

Summary

Patent Quality Assistance Act of 2004 - Allows a person to request that the grant or reissue of a patent be reconsidered by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) by filing an opposition seeking to invalidate one or more claims in the patent. Requires the Director of USPTO to issue and publish a certificate, in accordance with the final decision by the panel of three administrative patent judges, canceling any claim of the patent determined to be unpatentable and incorporating into the patent any new or amended claims determined to be patentable. Allows a third party to submit for consideration, and for inclusion in the record, prior art to determine whether the invention was known, used, in public use, or on sale or would have been obvious. Provides that a notice of a patent holder alleging infringement of the patent is not deemed to be sufficient to subject a recipient of the notice to liability for willful infringement of the patent, with exceptions. Prohibits a court from granting an injunction for violations of a right secured by a patent unless it finds that the patentee is likely to suffer irreparable harm that cannot be remedied by payment of money damages. Provides that a third party requester whose request for a reexamination results in an order is not estopped from asserting a claim which the third party requester could have raised during such reexamination proceedings. Sets forth provisions regarding circumstances under which a patent application involving a business method invention combined with computer technology would not be denied on the basis of obviousness.

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Timeline

1. 8 October 2004

   Introduced

   Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 8 October 2004

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 8 October 2004

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 11 October 2004

   Introduced

   Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1935-1936)

   Source: IntroReferral

5. 5 November 2004

   Referred

   Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in House · 8 October 2004 · Official file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 8 October 2004

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 8 October 2004

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 8 October 2004

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-26] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Boucher, Rick [D-VA-9] · D · Sponsor
• · hsju00 · Standing

Related records

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