WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), made the following statement today applauding House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) for holding a hearing on patent litigation reform.

“The business community is concerned about several patent litigation abuses including demand letters designed to hold up innocent users and sellers of a product, third party litigation financing that is helping fund patent litigation, and the procedural maneuvers designed to increase the cost of litigation in order to force settlements.

“We appreciate Chairman Goodlatte’s work to advance the patent litigation reform debate. We look forward to working with Chairman Goodlatte and all stakeholders in this debate to address patent litigation abuses, while preserving our nation’s strong tradition of protecting legitimate intellectual property rights.”

ILR seeks to promote civil justice reform through legislative, political, judicial, and educational activities at the national, state, and local levels.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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