The America Invents Act, passed in 2011, created the biggest change to U.S. patent law in 60 years. So it’s probably not surprising that 59 percent of chief IP officers in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical device industries say the AIA has changed their in-house approach to the patent process, according to a new survey by Consero Group.
The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act was phased in over the course of two years and took full effect in March 2013. It is considered the most significant change to the U.S. patent system since 1952. Among the many changes included in the law, the AIA switched the U.S. patent system from a “first to invent” system to a “first inventor to file” system—consistent with patent systems in other parts of the world.
