Intellectual Property Rights

U.S. Companies' Views on Patent Law Harmonization Gao ID: T-GGD-94-11 October 7, 1993

This testimony focuses on patent law harmonization, which seeks to bridge some of the basic difference between the U.S. patent system and those of other countries. The United States, for example, is the only developed nation awarding patents to the first inventor regardless of when the patent application is filed. Moreover, U.S. patent applications are kept secret until a patent is granted. In contrast, most developed countries award patents to the first inventor to file an application and publish all patent applications after they are filed. GAO's remarks are based primarily on the results of a 1992 survey of U.S. companies regarding their patent experiences in Japan, Europe, and the United States and their views on patent harmonization.



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