Recent patent reform legislation

One might think that after 200 years of patents in the United States, the patent laws would be a fairly static body. Although wholesale revisions are unusual, amendments of one sort or another seem to be the norm. On 29 November 1999, Congress quietly passed a few new patent laws. Still other changes are in the works as Congress attempts to harmonize the patent laws with those in other countries and to keep pace with technology. The article describes the changes to the patent laws in the USA.