Some have asked whether tax patent legislation should be postponed while the Bilski case is pending before the Supreme Court. Since this case does not involve a tax strategy patent, the Court's decision will not prevent the further issuance of tax strategy patents, and it should not, in any way, delay your legislative efforts. With the Patent and Trademark office continuing to grant tax strategy patents (83 have been issued and 134 applications are pending as of the date of this letter), a legislative solution remains an absolute necessity.

I have attached a copy of a letter dated October 20, 2009, which was recently sent to you by a coalition of 16 consumer organizations, taxpayer rights groups and tax advisors applauding your leadership on the critically important issues of tax strategy patents and asking for your continued help to pass the Boucher-Goodlatte bill, H. R. 2584. The College hereby joins the coalition in applauding your efforts and expressly endorses the views of the coalition as expressed in their October 20 letter.

We strongly endorse H.R. 2584 and urge you to see that this legislative language is enacted into law, either as a separate bill or as part of broader patent law reform legislation.