The United States Senate voted overwhelmingly last night to approve a legislation to make the first reforms to its patent system in nearly six decades. The America Invents Act is aimed at improving patent quality and help reduce patent application backlogs. It will transition the US patent system to a first-inventor-to-file system and ensure that the US Patent and trademark office has the funds necessary to process the backlog of more than 700,000 pending patent applications. Noting that creating new jobs and new opportunities in a fiercely competitive world demands policies that encourage and support American innovation and ingenuity, US President Barack Obama welcomed its passage by the Senate. The Bill now goes to the US House of Representatives.