Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today in a hearing titled “From Genes to Machines: the Patent Eligibility Debate.” In written testimony, CCIA’s head of IP policy, John Lee, told senators that “the current framework provides meaningful predictability while continuing a longstanding principle: patents should cover genuine inventions without granting exclusive rights over the fundamental ideas, laws of nature, and natural phenomena upon which future innovation depends.”
Lee pointed to evidence that the most recent Supreme Court precedents have “resulted in a net increase to innovation across multiple measures, including patenting, R&D spending, and venture capital (VC) investment across many technology sectors, including AI.” He said the evidence also suggests that U.S. competitiveness in these areas has not been harmed by patent eligibility rules, as seen in the robustness of U.S. leadership in AI innovation. Lee said U.S. firms received 75% of total VC funding for AI firms in 2025, nearly $200 billion in one year, which was 12 times what EU firms received and 15 times as much as China.
For more than 50 years, CCIA has advocated for balanced patent policies that encourage innovation and limit misuse of the patent system.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Head of IP Policy, John Lee:
“By all measures, the US patent system effectively fosters innovation as intended. The surge in venture capital investment in AI – with 75 percent of funding directed toward US firms – is an example of the system’s success. Any legislative tweaks Congress considers must be carefully tailored to address real emerging issues and deter patent abuse, avoiding new uncertainties that could jeopardize investments in transformative technologies like AI.”
