America Invents Act

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

25 January 2011

Last action

9 March 2011 · Floor

Status

Held at the desk.

Summary

Patent Reform Act of 2011 - Defines the "effective filing date" of a claimed invention as the actual filing date of the patent or the application for patent containing a claim to the invention (thus replacing the current first-to-invent system), except as specified. Requires the effective filing date for a claimed invention in an application for reissue or reissued patent to be determined by deeming the claim to the invention to have been contained in the patent for which reissue was sought. Amends federal patent law to rewrite provisions concerning: (1) the conditions for patentability, including a one-year grace period (a prior art exception) for inventors to file an application after certain disclosures of the claimed invention by the inventor or another who obtained the subject matter from the inventor; and (2) false marking actions. Sets forth derived patent provisions. Replaces interference proceedings with derivation proceedings. Replaces the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Amends damages provisions to: (1) require court-identified determination factors and methodologies, (2) provide willful infringement standards, and (3) revise specified defenses and evidentiary requirements. Revises and adds various other rights and requirements related to patents, including regarding: (1) post-grant procedures, (2) inter partes review, (3) reexaminations, (4) citation of prior art, (5) U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) fee setting authority, (6) preissuance submissions by third parties, and (7) venue. Allows appeals of specified Board decisions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Establishes supplemental examinations to consider, reconsider, and correct information. Revises provisions concerning the residency of federal circuit judges and the facilities and administrative support which must be provided to them. Defines the term "micro entity" for both an assigned and unassigned application, including specifying for both that an entity qualifies as a small entity if it is so defined in regulations issued by the USPTO Director and has not been named on five or more previously filed patent applications. Deems any strategy for reducing, avoiding, or deferring tax liability insufficient to differentiate a claimed invention from the prior art when evaluating specified conditions of patentability. Prohibits using a failure to disclose the best mode as a basis on which any claim of a patent may be canceled or held invalid or otherwise unenforceable.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

25 January 2011
Introduced
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S131-142)
Source: IntroReferral
25 January 2011
Introduced
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S130-131)
Source: IntroReferral
25 January 2011
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
3 February 2011
Reported
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Source: Committee
3 February 2011
Reported
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with amendments. Without written report.
Source: Committee
3 February 2011
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 6.
Source: Calendars
28 February 2011
Reported
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S936-953, S956-957; text of measure as reported in Senate: CR S936-948)
Source: Floor
1 March 2011
Floor
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1030-1034, S1034-1051, S1052-1053)
Source: Floor
2 March 2011
Floor
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1089-1099, S1104-1106, S1107-1113)
Source: Floor
3 March 2011
Floor
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1175-1185, S1204-1213)
Source: Floor
7 March 2011
Vote
Cloture invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 87 - 3. Record Vote Number: 34. (consideration: CR S1323; text: CR S1323-1324)
Source: Floor
8 March 2011
Floor
Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S1348-1352, S1360-1394)
Source: Floor
8 March 2011
Vote
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay. 95 - 5. Record Vote Number: 35.(text: CR S1381-1393)
Source: Floor
9 March 2011
Floor
Held at the desk.
Source: Floor
9 March 2011
Floor
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Source: Floor
9 March 2011
Floor
Received in the House.
Source: Floor

Votes

8 March 2011 · Bill Passed · On Passage of the Bill S. 23 · Bill Passed · Official source

Yes 95 · No 5 · Abstain — · Absent/not voting 0

Showing the first 4 recorded positions. Vote totals above are complete.

7 March 2011 · Cloture Motion Agreed to · On the Cloture Motion S. 23 · Cloture Motion Agreed to · Official source

Yes 87 · No 3 · Abstain — · Absent/not voting 10

Showing the first 4 recorded positions. Vote totals above are complete.

Versions

Engrossed in Senate · 8 March 2011 · Download file
Reported to Senate · 3 February 2011 · Download file
Introduced in Senate · 25 January 2011 · Download file

Documents

9 official files

Engrossed in Senate (text)

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Engrossed in Senate (text)
Engrossed in Senate · EN · 8 March 2011
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Engrossed in Senate (PDF)
Engrossed in Senate · EN · 8 March 2011
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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 8 March 2011
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Reported to Senate (text)
Reported to Senate · EN · 3 February 2011
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Reported to Senate (PDF)
Reported to Senate · EN · 3 February 2011
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Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 3 February 2011
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Introduced in Senate (text)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 25 January 2011
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Introduced in Senate (PDF)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 25 January 2011
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 25 January 2011
Open at official source
Leesvertaling
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Related records

related to → Patent Lawsuit Reform Act of 2011
related to → Leahy-Smith America Invents Act
related to → Equal Access to Tax Planning Act
amends ← SAMDT 118
amends ← SAMDT 119
amends ← SAMDT 120
amends ← SAMDT 122
amends ← SAMDT 125
amends ← SAMDT 127
amends ← SAMDT 128
amends ← SAMDT 129

Showing 11 of 47 related records.

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/senate-bill/23
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/112/s/23
us · 112-s-23 · source updated 10 August 2026