Washington (July 13, 2026) – This week, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property will hold a hearing on the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), a landmark bill that would restore certainty to patent eligibility law and strengthen protections for American inventors.
For more than a decade, inventors, startups, and courts have struggled with an uncertain and inconsistent standard for determining which inventions are eligible for patent protection. A series of Supreme Court decisions has made patent eligibility law increasingly difficult to apply, leading to conflicting decisions while making it harder for inventors to protect breakthrough technologies.
In support of the bill, IDA Chief Policy Counselor Kristen Osenga made the following statement ahead of the hearing:
“For more than a decade, inventors have been forced to navigate a patent eligibility system that is increasingly unpredictable and difficult to apply. That uncertainty has real consequences, especially for independent inventors, startups, and emerging businesses that depend on strong, predictable patent rights to attract capital and bring new technologies to market. At a time when China is outpacing the United States in dozens of critical technology areas, Congress should be strengthening the foundation for American innovation — not leaving inventors stuck in legal uncertainty. PERA would restore clarity to patent eligibility law, giving inventors, investors, and entrepreneurs the confidence to build companies, create jobs, and keep the next generation of breakthrough technologies here in the United States.”
About the Inventor’s Defense Alliance: The Inventors Defense Alliance is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(4) advocacy organization that works to build support for inventors’ rights, safeguard justice, and protect access to capital. Learn more at www.InventorsDefense.org.