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    <number>2045</number>
    <updateDate>2023-01-11T13:27:35Z</updateDate>
    <updateDateIncludingText>2023-01-11T13:27:35Z</updateDateIncludingText>
    <originChamber>House</originChamber>
    <type>HR</type>
    <introducedDate>2015-04-28</introducedDate>
    <congress>114</congress>
    <constitutionalAuthorityStatementText><![CDATA[<pre>[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [<a href='http://www.gpo.gov'>www.gpo.gov</a>]By Mr. BURGESS:H.R. 2045.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:The authority granted to Congress to regulate patent andintellectual property law is derived from Article I, Section8, clause 8 of the Constitution, providing the legislaturewith the power to ``promote the progress of science anduseful arts, by securing for limited times to authors andinventors the exclusive right to their respective writingsand discoveries.'' Further, the Necessary and Proper Clausefound in Article I, Section 8, clause 18, provides Congresswith the power to ``make all laws which shall be necessaryand proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers,and all other powers vested by this Constitution in thegovernment of the United States, or in any department orofficer thereof.''[Page H2498]</pre>]]></constitutionalAuthorityStatementText>
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        <citation>H. Rept. 114-877</citation>
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        <title>STRONG Patents Act of 2015</title>
        <congress>114</congress>
        <number>632</number>
        <type>S</type>
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          <actionDate>2016-02-25</actionDate>
          <text>Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-603.</text>
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        <text>Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 688.</text>
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        <text>Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.</text>
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        <text>Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 30 - 22.</text>
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        <bioguideId>B001248</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]</fullName>
        <firstName>Michael</firstName>
        <lastName>Burgess</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>TX</state>
        <middleName>C.</middleName>
        <district>26</district>
        <isByRequest>N</isByRequest>
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        <bioguideId>K000009</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]</fullName>
        <firstName>MARCY</firstName>
        <lastName>KAPTUR</lastName>
        <party>D</party>
        <state>OH</state>
        <district>9</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2015-04-28</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>True</isOriginalCosponsor>
      </item>
      <item>
        <bioguideId>L000567</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Lance, Leonard [R-NJ-7]</fullName>
        <firstName>Leonard</firstName>
        <lastName>Lance</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>NJ</state>
        <district>7</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2015-04-28</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>True</isOriginalCosponsor>
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      <item>
        <bioguideId>H001045</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Harper, Gregg [R-MS-3]</fullName>
        <firstName>Gregg</firstName>
        <lastName>Harper</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>MS</state>
        <district>3</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2015-04-28</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>True</isOriginalCosponsor>
      </item>
      <item>
        <bioguideId>M001190</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Mullin, Markwayne [R-OK-2]</fullName>
        <firstName>Markwayne</firstName>
        <lastName>Mullin</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>OK</state>
        <district>2</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2015-04-28</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>True</isOriginalCosponsor>
      </item>
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        <bioguideId>K000378</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Kinzinger, Adam [R-IL-16]</fullName>
        <firstName>Adam</firstName>
        <lastName>Kinzinger</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>IL</state>
        <district>16</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2015-04-28</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>True</isOriginalCosponsor>
      </item>
      <item>
        <bioguideId>F000456</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Fleming, John [R-LA-4]</fullName>
        <firstName>John</firstName>
        <lastName>Fleming</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>LA</state>
        <district>4</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2015-08-04</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>False</isOriginalCosponsor>
      </item>
      <item>
        <bioguideId>B001274</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Rep. Brooks, Mo [R-AL-5]</fullName>
        <firstName>Mo</firstName>
        <lastName>Brooks</lastName>
        <party>R</party>
        <state>AL</state>
        <district>5</district>
        <sponsorshipDate>2016-11-14</sponsorshipDate>
        <isOriginalCosponsor>False</isOriginalCosponsor>
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    </cosponsors>
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      <item>
        <pubDate>2015-05-29T12:54:40Z</pubDate>
        <title>H.R. 2045, Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2015</title>
        <url>https://www.cbo.gov/publication/50244</url>
        <description>As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 29,&amp;nbsp;2015</description>
      </item>
    </cboCostEstimates>
    <policyArea>
      <name>Commerce</name>
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          <name>Civil actions and liability</name>
        </item>
        <item>
          <name>Federal preemption</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Fraud offenses and financial crimes</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Intellectual property</name>
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        <item>
          <name>State and local government operations</name>
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    <summaries>
      <summary>
        <versionCode>00</versionCode>
        <actionDate>2015-04-28</actionDate>
        <actionDesc>Introduced in House</actionDesc>
        <updateDate>2015-05-26T15:39:12Z</updateDate>
        <text><![CDATA[ <p><b>Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2015</b></p> <p>Directs the Federal Trade Commission, and authorizes state attorneys general, to enforce against written communications (commonly referred to as demand letters) that represent in bad faith that the recipient bears liability or owes compensation for infringing an asserted patent. Requires the pattern or practice of sending such bad faith demand letters to be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act. </p> <p>Sets forth the types of bad faith representations, compensation requests, or omissions that are considered to be unfair or deceptive. </p> <p>Provides an affirmative defense if the sender can show that statements, representations, or omissions were mistakes made in good faith, which may be demonstrated by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid any such error.</p>]]></text>
      </summary>
      <summary>
        <versionCode>79</versionCode>
        <actionDate>2016-12-16</actionDate>
        <actionDesc>Reported to House without amendment</actionDesc>
        <updateDate>2017-01-03T20:52:55Z</updateDate>
        <text><![CDATA[ <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)</p> <p><b>Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2015</b></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and authorizes state attorneys general, to enforce against written communications (commonly referred to as demand letters) that represent in bad faith that the recipient bears liability or owes compensation for infringing an asserted patent. The pattern or practice of sending such bad faith demand letters shall be treated as an unfair or deceptive act or practice in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act.</p> <p>The bill sets forth the types of bad faith representations, assertions of legal action, claims of a sender holding an exclusive license, compensation requests, or omissions that are considered to be unfair or deceptive. </p> <p>The bill provides an affirmative defense if the sender can show that statements, representations, or omissions were mistakes made in good faith, which may be demonstrated by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid any such error.</p> <p>(Sec. 3) The bill provides the FTC with authority to enforce against violations. </p> <p>(Sec. 4) The bill preempts state or local laws expressly relating to the transmission or contents of communications regarding the assertion of patent rights. But the bill shall not be contrued to limit any other state laws, including those relating to consumer protection, fraud, deception, trespass, contracts, or torts. </p> <p>State attorneys general may bring civil actions in federal court to enjoin violations or obtain civil penalties for violations of this bill. The maximum civil penalty for which a person may be liable for a series of related violations is $5 million. </p>]]></text>
      </summary>
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    <title>Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2015</title>
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        <title>Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2015</title>
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        <title>To provide that certain bad faith communications in connection with the assertion of a United States patent are unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and for other purposes.</title>
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        <title>Targeting Rogue and Opaque Letters Act of 2015</title>
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      <actionDate>2016-12-16</actionDate>
      <text>Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 688.</text>
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    <dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
    <dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
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