“I applaud the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate for expediting the confirmation of David Kappos’ nomination as Under- Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. The Senate’s vote on this confirmation before the August recess underscores the importance of the work that awaits Kappos.

“A well functioning patent system is critically important to promoting innovation, and innovation is indispensable to US economic recovery and long-term growth. BSA members are proud to hold more than 95,000 active US patents, and several of our members were among the top 15 US companies in terms of utility patents awarded by the USPTO in 2008.

“The USPTO must be given the tools and authority to review weak patents. In today’s age of global competitiveness, it is essential that we align our laws with those of other major patent-granting jurisdictions and address some of the principal abuses increasingly associated with the enforcement of patents.

“David Kappos possesses the deep experience and knowledge needed to tackle problems in the US patent system, and with the help of a willing Congress, he will shepherd in a new era for the USPTO that will streamline its operations and foster US innovation and economic growth.”

The Business Software Alliance is the voice of the world's commercial software industry and its hardware partners before governments and in the international marketplace.