House votes 325-91 to pass Innovation Act, first anti-patent-troll bill

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http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/12/house-votes-325-91-to-pass-innovation-act-first-anti-patent-troll-bill/

Passage of the bill is a big step for patent reformers, which would have been hard to imagine even one year ago. However, patent trolls going after "Main Street" businesses like grocery stores and coffee shops have made headlines and enraged politicians from Vermont to California.

Majorities of representatives in both parties supported the bill. On the Republican side, 195 representatives voted in favor of the bill and 27 voted against, while 130 Democrats supported the bill and 64 opposed it. The White House has said it supports the bill.

The key politician pushing the bill ahead thus far is Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. The most prominent opponent has been Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the ranking member on that committee.

If passed, the bill will add to transparency in patent litigation and require patent holders to reveal who is profiting from a lawsuit. It will also allow lawsuits against customers to be stayed in certain circumstances and will require fee-shifting to the prevailing party in most patent cases.