In an article published on June 25, 2024, Harness IP Special Counsel John White discussed how the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) can potentially advance the inclusion of broad technical fields in patenting.

“Yet to practitioners and active inventors within the field, it seems the patent system is subject to almost daily challenge in its operation, longevity and economic effect,” White explained. “Without a fix — and soon — the U.S. will continue to lose its technical advantage in many fields.”

White outlines a brief history of Supreme Court patent cases to explain why PERA can be largely beneficial to technology companies in the United States. “Entire fields of endeavor, like medical diagnostics and computer-implemented methods, have been largely swept away. Thus, PERA has steadily been gaining traction and bipartisan support, and has finally broken into the markup phase of its legislative journey. Input at this point in the process will help push the act over the finish line.”

The full article may be accessed here.