PCWorld - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve a compromise version of a bill that would overhaul the U.S. patent system, potentially making it more difficult for patent holders to successfully sue alleged infringers for huge damages.
The committee on Thursday voted 15-4 to approve an amended version of the Patent Reform Act and send it to the full Senate for a vote.
Groups on opposite sides of a long-running debate over patent reform praised the committee for coming up with a compromise. Several large tech vendors have pushed Congress to change U.S. patent law for years, saying patent law is outdated and it's too easy for patent holders to collect huge damage awards for an invention that makes up a small piece of a tech product.
But some small inventors, small tech vendors and pharmaceutical companies have opposed major changes to U.S. patents, saying changes could water down the value of patents and allow competitors to steal their intellectual property.
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