JANUARY 15, 2008, 9:30 a.m.

DRAFT COMMITTEE REPORT DOES NOT CONTAIN NEW PATENT REFORM PROVISIONS BUT IS RECOMMENDED READING -- Yesterday’s IPO Daily News reported that a draft of the Senate Judiciary Committee's report on S. 1145 is circulating in the Washington lobbying community and on the internet.  The 106-page draft report explains in depth the provisions of the bill as approved by the Senate on July 19, 2007, but does not contain any new or compromise provisions.  The report will be finalized by the committee, possibly with separate views by certain Senators, and issued as the official committee report on the July 19 bill.  Although some provisions in the legislation are sure to be amended before the Senate passes any patent reform bill, the report is recommended reading for IPO members.  The draft report and other key documents related to current patent reform legislation can be found on the IPO website at www.ipo.org/patentreform.

David J. Kappos

COMPANIES WILL DONATE PATENTS TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENT -- Yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported that several companies unveiled a patent-sharing project allowing companies to donate patents that improve the environment.  The project is called “Eco-Patent Commons” and will be administered by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.”  IPO is not involved in the project, but IPO Vice President DAVID J. KAPPOS (IBM Corp.) and Board member ANGELO N. CHACLAS (Pitney-Bowes) were quoted in the article.

IPO WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVES GROUP MEETS -- Government affairs representatives of IPO member companies are meeting today in Washington to discuss current legislation.  To obtain information on future meetings, contact Melissa Marcucci-Allbritton (mmarcucci@ipo.org).

COMPANIES INVITED TO SEND NAMES OF SUBSIDIARIES TO IPO FOR ANNUAL PATENT OWNERS LIST -- IPO is compiling its annual list of the 300 organizations that obtained the most U.S. patents.  The list will cover utility patents for calendar year 2007.  On request, IPO will combine patents granted to a parent company and those granted to the parent’s majority-owned subsidiaries.  Companies that wish to have their patents combined are asked to send the names of their subsidiaries to Nicole Young, nyoung@ipo.org, 202-466-2396, BY FEBRUARY 19, 2008.

NAMES OF SUBSIDIARIES (CONT) -- Submit the names of subsidiaries exactly as they appear on U.S. patents.  Please do not submit the numbers of patents that were granted to the parent or to subsidiaries.  IPO will obtain that information from the USPTO.