H.R. 1561 stalled; IPO and AIPLA send joint letter opposing proposed solution

H.R. 1561, The United States Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act of 2003, sits stalled in the Senate despite return of legislators from summer break.

Apparently, language has been proposed that adds the text of the bill, sans controversial section 5 (diversion of fees), to an appropriations bill. This solution would apparently put a one year fee increase in place without putting the anti-fee diversion provisions of H.R. 1561 into effect.

The Intellectual Property Owner’s Association (IPO) and the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) have, jointly, sent a letter (link (.pdf)) to leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee opposing this move.