Patent disclosure reforms would be detrimental to small businesses

[Small Business Technology Council (SBTC), January 2015, SBTC, “Patent Reform Threatens Small Business Innovation,” , accessed: 7-11-24, ES]

Disclosure of All Plaintiff Interested Parties requires both investors and licensors to be disclosed. This will discourage commerce in two ways. First, in the early stages of company formation, it will require Angel investors to break one of their major priorities: anonymity. This provision will discourage Angels from investing in the smallest companies, when outside funding is hardest to obtain. Secondly, it will dampen licensing activities. When a licensee needs time to incorporate the licensed invention into their product, they normally do not want to alert their competition as to where they are moving in the market. This will disclose the fact that the licensee is adding a new feature or an entirely new product line.