WASHINGTON, February 5, 2015–The National Retail Federation welcomed new patent reform legislation introduced today that is intended to build on the bipartisan progress made during the last session of Congress.

“This legislation is an important step toward disrupting the operations of patent trolls, who make a business of threatening companies large and small with dubious patent infringement claims and unreasonable demands,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. “Retailers are among patent trolls’ most frequent targets thanks to the industry’s use of cutting edge innovation and technology.”

“It’s time for those who use the patent system, patent law and the courts to profit on false claims to rethink their extortion-driven business model–their time is up,” French said. “NRF looks forward to working with Congress to pass bipartisan patent reform legislation this session that protects both the innovative work of inventors as well as businesses targeted by parasitic patent trolls.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, R-Va., today introduced the Innovation Act, an updated version of legislation that passed the House in 2013 by strong bipartisan vote of 325 to 91. Despite House passage, the Senate failed to take up patent reform in 2014, leaving efforts to begin again this Congress.

To advance the pursuit of patent reform legislation, NRF and Oracle announced the formation of United for Patent Reform, a new coalition comprised of grocery, hotel, retail, restaurant and technology companies and trade associations dedicated to curbing the abuse and misuse of the U.S. patent system.

NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities, and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation. NRF.com