With several prominent independent inventors on stage and in the audience, President Barack Obama signed the America Invents Act into law on September 16, 2011. The legislation, which passed with broad bipartisan support in the House and Senate, represents the most significant reform of the U.S. patent system since 1836. "This much-needed reform will speed up the patent process so that innovators and entrepreneurs can turn a new invention into a business as quickly as possible," President Obama said.

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