After six plus years it looks like we might actually see patent reform become a reality this year. As I write this, the House version of the bill is before the rules committee and is expected to be voted on by the House later this week. It’s also our understanding the Senate is likely to adjust their bill to match the House version.
As bills were presented, amendments suggested, coalition letters signed, etc. AUTM has tried to keep you updated and to offer our members an ability to give us feedback. We have at times put out a call to action and asked you to contact your legislators to speak in favor of or in opposition to a particular issue. As all of the political flurry was going on this week I was thinking about what I said to you at the Annual Meeting this past March. I told you that we would be active in advocacy and that we would do what we believed to be best for the technology transfer community, but we also need your feedback. I’d like to know if we’ve lived up to that promise. Do you find the information we send you helpful? How do you use it? We noted that some members chose to use the Director’s Forum, but it was still a comparatively few number. Are there other ways you prefer we communicate these messages to you?
I truly believe being the leader of an organization is about representing the membership, and advancing the profession. To do this well we need to hear from you, even if it’s to say everything is going just fine. This helps me and the Board stay in touch with the community and keeps us grounded to reality. So, with that please submit your comments below. Thank you.