WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) tabled patent reform from the committee’s agenda, dealing a setback to the technology industry and other groups that have pushed for curbing “patent trolls.”

“We have been working for almost a year with countless stakeholders on legislation to address the problem of patent trolls who are misusing the patent system,” said Leahy in a statement. “Unfortunately, there has been no agreement on how to combat the scourge of patent trolls on our economy without burdening the companies and universities who rely on the patent system every day to protect their inventions. We have heard repeated concerns that the House-passed bill went beyond the scope of addressing patent trolls, and would have severe unintended consequences on legitimate patent holders who employ thousands of Americans.”

Leahy said the bill would be put back on the agenda once stakeholders “reach a more targeted agreement that focuses on the problem of patent trolls.”

Late last month, the Big Tent Patent Coalition, of which NACS is a member, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee expressing its support of the patent reform bill. More than 200 groups signed the letter.