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H.R. 5478: Inventor Rights Act

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H.R. 5478: Inventor Rights Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-12-18 · Commerce · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-12-18 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Inventor Rights Act

Plain summary

Inventor Rights Act This bill establishes additional protections for a patent owned by the inventor of the patented invention or an entity controlled by that inventor. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shall not reexamine or review an inventor-owned patent after issuance without the owner's consent. For venue purposes, a lawsuit involving an inventor-owned patent may be brought in the judicial district where (1) the inventor conducted research or development on the patented invention; or (2) a party has a regular and established facility engaged in research, development, or manufacturing related to the patented invention. Currently, a patent lawsuit generally must be filed where the defendant has a regular and established place of business. The bill also makes it easier for the owner of an inventor-owned patent to secure an injunction after a court finds patent infringement, by establishing a presumption that (1) further infringement would cause irreparable injury, and (2) remedies available at law are inadequate to compensate for that injury. Currently, the patent owner must establish these factors to get an injunction. If a court finds that an inventor-owned patent has been infringed, the patent owner may elect to recover the infringer's profits stemming from the infringement, whereas, currently, a patent owner is generally entitled to compensation for the injury caused by the infringement. If the infringement was willful, the court may award triple damages. If the patent owner elects to recover damages under this bill, the owner shall receive attorney's fees that exceed 10% of the damages award.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Inventor Rights Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Paul A. Gosar (R-AZ)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] reported raising $100,598 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr5478 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116