Bill > HR3269

This bill, known as the Eliminating Thickets to Increase Competition Act (ETHIC Act), addresses patent thickets in the pharmaceutical and biological product industries by limiting the number of patents that can be asserted in a single infringement action. Specifically, when a person brings an infringement lawsuit against a drug or biological product developer or manufacturer, they may only assert one patent per "Patent Group" – a term defined in the bill as two or more commonly owned patents or patent applications that are linked through disclaimers. The bill applies to parties submitting or holding applications for drug approvals under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or biological product licensures under the Public Health Service Act. Once a person asserts a patent from a Patent Group against a specific party, they are prohibited from bringing additional actions with patents from the same Patent Group against that party. This legislation aims to reduce patent complexity and potential anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical and biological product sectors by preventing the strategic bundling of multiple related patents to obstruct market entry or competition.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3269/all-info