Congress should regulate behavior, not business-models, when crafting patent legislation

By Kristen Osenga in The Hill

Innovation is serious business, yet much of the debate about the need for patent legislation has failed to reflect that. The notion of “patent trolls” has captured the imagination of the public, policymakers, and academics. This pejorative term has led to the condemnation of individual companies and the denunciation of entire business models, making discussions about patent legislation sound more like a witch hunt than an informed debate. As our nation considers again tinkering with the patent system – a system that drives innovation and places us atop the global economy – we should be making decisions based on facts, not fairy tales.