On Oct. 9, 2025, the newly appointed director of the Patent Office made a remarkable statement to the United States Senate. Director John Squires stated that patents are far more than economic instruments or property rights. Rather, he proclaimed, patents “are instruments of national defense.” See, Squires, J., “The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act – Restoring Clarify, Certainty, and Predictability to the U.S. Patent System” (Oct. 9, 2025). Director Squires proceeded to present an argument, steeped in references to the 9/11 attacks, that the government’s prior efforts to limit patent enforcement were contrary to the nation’s interest and jeopardized national security. Id.
