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[Patentinvestor]

White House nominates ex-Google patent counsel to head USPTO • 2:24 PM
Eric Jhonsa, SA News Editor
• The White House has nominated Michelle Lee, once Google's lead patent counsel, to head the USPTO. Lee is currently the USPTO's deputy director.
• Google, like several other tech giants, has been a strong proponent of overhauling the U.S. patent system, with an eye towards limiting software patents and making it easier for defendants to recover legal fees from perceived patent trolls in the event that they win.
• In June 2013, the White House unveiled a slew of executive actions and legal actions meant to curtail patent system abuses. This year, the Supreme Court upheld the patentability of software concepts, but also set limits. That ruling has been followed by a string of adverse decisions levied by lower federal courts against companies pursuing infringement claims.
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