Washington, D.C. (February 27, 2013) – Today, the Application Developers Alliance thanked Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) for introducing the SHIELD Act but urged Congress to do even more to protect entrepreneurs from patent trolls.
“We thank Congressmen DeFazio and Chaffetz for introducing thoughtful and strong fee-shifting legislation that will help victims of patent trolls who are fighting in court. The Application Developers Alliance supports the SHIELD Act,” said Jon Potter, President of the Application Developers Alliance.
“Unfortunately, many small companies cannot afford to pay lawyers through the course of a litigation, so they need more relief than the SHIELD Act offers. A quicker and cheaper program for challenging trolls’ patents in the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is needed as an alternative to litigation. The Covered Business Method Program, as set out in the American Invents Act for financial services patents, is a good model.
“It’s time to ensure that software patents protect those who actually innovate, not the trolls that prey on their success,” Potter concluded.
About the Application Developers Alliance
The Application Developers Alliance is an industry association dedicated to meeting the unique needs of application developers as creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Alliance members include more than 20,000 individual application developers and more than 100 companies, investors, and stakeholders in the apps ecosystem.
