from: http://rss.slashdot.org/ ~ r / Slashdot / slashdot / ~ 3/B07_rBFs8RQ/Patent-Reform-Bill-Passes-Senate:

First accepted nephorm sender writes The Senate passed the first major overhaul of patent law in the nation in more than half a century from America Invent Law The law has received overwhelming approval in a 89-9 vote From the article: .. The Invent America Act switches of the patent system in the United States from a first-to-invent to a first nation to a file. It also establishes a new system of patent examination and give the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office more flexibility to set and pass the fees paid by inventors to obtain patents and companies to register trademarks.