Innovation Act

Floor Speech

Mr. ISSA. Madam Chairman, my colleague from California a few moments ago spoke eloquently on behalf of the small inventor, but he didn't speak for me, and I am a small inventor.

When I patented my first product, all I had were a couple of employees and an idea. I presented a product that I really wanted to make to a company that I thought would buy it, and then I raced down to protect my rights and succeeded. Ultimately, I was paid.

I know very well what you do if you assert patent infringement if you want to prevail. You look at the competitor's product; you take some due diligence. All this legislation is trying to do, and do well, is to put some teeth into what my colleague from California disparaged: the trolls who will simply surf the Internet and send out litigation alleging patent infringement with products they have never looked at, understood, nor do they know if they fall under their patent.

I have received damages under the rule 11 sanction. I know what it takes to share a completely frivolous case. I have prosecuted my own patents against infringers. I know what you should do before you assert to somebody ``patent infringement.''

This bill does one thing very well. It puts a little bit of teeth finally back into what the trolls use as a tool: file a lawsuit and collect an amount of money because people don't want to spend it on litigation.

Just for once I would like us to understand this is not sponsored by the big guys. In fact, the little guy starting a company, who gets a letter or a suit from a troll, is the person that this will protect. I know this

firsthand from more than three decades of being an inventor.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your leadership on this issue.

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