SIIA Endorses the CLEAR Act

The following statement can be attributed to Chris Mohr, President, the Software & Information Industry Association.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) strongly supports the bipartisan bill introduced by Representatives Laurel Lee and Zoe Lofgren, the Customer Legal Ease and Relief (CLEAR) Act, a commonsense reform that addresses a persistent flaw in our patent system. For too long, abusive patent litigation has targeted Main Street businesses, retailers, and end-users who simply use or sell off-the-shelf technology, rather than the manufacturers who design and build it. These predatory tactics drain resources from our economy and force small businesses into settlements simply to avoid the crushing costs of litigation.

By codifying a uniform customer stay rule, the CLEAR Act ensures that patent disputes are resolved where they belong-between the patent owner and the maker of the product. This legislation strikes the right balance: it protects innocent end-users from being leveraged in legal battles they are ill-equipped to fight, while preserving the ability of patent holders to legitimately enforce their rights against the true source of the alleged infringement.

We applaud Representatives Lee and Lofgren for their leadership and urge Congress to pass this vital protection for American businesses.