Kaptur, Massie Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect American Inventors

The Balancing Incentives Act amends US patent law to require a patent owner's consent before anyone can file a petition to challenge the patent through inter partes review or post-grant review at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). This simple yet powerful change ensures that inventors, especially individual creators and small businesses, are not blindsided by costly legal challenges that can strip them of their intellectual property.

“Innovation is the beating heart of American progress,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “From workshops and factories to classrooms and garages, inventors across our nation embody the creativity, determination, and optimism that define the American spirit. They turn ideas into opportunities and dreams into progress. By standing up for inventors, we stand up for America’s future. Because what America makes and grows, makes and grows America.”

The Balancing Incentives Act of 2025 builds on years of bipartisan effort to make the patent system more balanced, transparent, and accessible to innovators of all sizes, not just large corporations. By ensuring that those who create can keep what they create, this legislation helps preserve the spirit of ingenuity that built America’s middle class, powered our industries, and continues to light the way toward a more prosperous future.