Leahy-Smith America Invents Act Signed by President Obama on September 16, 2011.

On September 16, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), discuss earlier at AT! here.  The AIA is the first major overhaul of the U.S. patent laws in approximately 60 years.

More information on the new U.S. patent laws, which will be implemented gradually over the next 1-1/2 years, may be found at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website here.

Senate Approves the America Invents Act of 2011 (H.R. 1249).

The Senate has voted and passed the America Invents Act of 2011 (H.R. 1249) without amendment.  We are one step closer to having a new “law of the land”, as Senator Leahy termed it, with respect to patents in the United States.  H.R. 1249 will now be delivered to the President’s desk, where the America Invents Act of 2011 will be signed into law.

U.S. Senate to Vote Soon on America Invents Act of 2011.

Earlier today, the U.S. Senate voted 93-5 to end debate on the America Invents Act of 2011.  A vote by the Senate to adopt the H.R. 1249 bill, which was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, is now imminent.  If the Senate adopts the House bill wholesale, which they appear posed to do, the bill would then go to President Obama’s desk for signing.

See further coverage on this topic at the PatentlyO and IPWatchdog blogs.

One thing is clear – change is coming.

Interesting Infographic on Patents.

JW Note: Below is an interesting infographic just published at Mashable. Many thanks to Muhammad Saleem for sending us the embed code and giving us permission to reproduce here at the AT! blog. 

Via: Business Insurance Site