Senators Urge PTO to Review ‘Excessive’ Patents

A bipartisan group of six U.S. senators accused the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) of granting excessive numbers of patents, which they said limit competition and keep drug prices high.

In a June 8 letter, the Senators — three Democrats and three Republicans — said that the patents are excessive because large numbers of patents cover one single product, and they are often granted for minor variations on a product, creating so-called patent thickets that block competition from generics.

The lawmakers urged the PTO to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking or a public request for comments by Sept. 1 outlining how it proposes to address the issue. “We ask that you consider changes to your regulations and practices to address these problems where they start, during examination,” they said.

Read the letter here: bit.ly/3NBdr5X.