[Page H5084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1145
                       KEEP PATENT SYSTEM STRONG

  (Mr. MASSIE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Speaker, when patent trolls use U.S. patents to game 
the system for illegitimate financial gain, it is much like 
counterfeiting because these are official U.S. documents. What would we 
do if we found a counterfeiter? Would we go after the counterfeiter, or 
would we devalue our currency to discourage counterfeiters?
  Well, that sounds ridiculous. That would wreck our economy just to go 
after counterfeiters by devaluing the currency. But that is what the 
Innovation Act, H.R. 9, does to patents. It devalues all patents, and 
it is going to wreck our economy if we pass it.
  Patents are the currency of invention. If you want invention to be 
strong in this country, you need to keep the patent system strong.
  I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 9.

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