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===Pleading Requirements===
In efforts to diminish the Patent Troll threat by the bill sponsors, the Innovation Act has heightened pleading requirements for parties filing for patent infringement. Form 18, the form previously used to submit generalized patent infringement claims, has been eliminated by the Judicial Conference in wide-sweeping amendments. This change amendment was expected to be implemented December of 2015 and was made in an effort to heighten patent claim requirements by the Judicial Conference. <ref name="patentlyo18" /> The Innovation Act also proposes Form 18's elimination to reduce patent litigation, especially litigation involving Patent Trolls or Non-Practicing Entities.<ref name="nationallawreview" /> The act would go further in reducing generalized complaints and eliminating loopholes by requiring (with exceptions) the plaintiff to submit infringement charts with the initial complaint.<ref name="patentlyoIA" /> The purpose of the charts would be to force the plaintiff to explain the specifics of a claim, how a product or subsidiary company violates each infringed component of a patent and the scope of each component's infringement. <ref name="patentlyoIA" />
Supporters hope that the act would go further in reducing generalized complaints and eliminating loopholes by requiring (with exceptions) the plaintiff to submit infringement charts with the initial complaint.<ref name="patentlyoIA" /> The infringement purpose of the charts require would be to force the plaintiff to explain the specifics of a claim, how a product or the specific use of the following information: * patented idea or process (referred to as accused instrumentalities) violates each infringed component of a patent and the scope of each component's infringement. <ref name="patentlyoIA" />
Additionally, a claim of previous commercial use may not result in a court invalidating a patent because it lacks novelty, seems to cover obvious subject matter, or due to prior art. <ref name="govtracksummary" /> Prior Art refers to evidence indicating that the technology or invention in question has already been used, discovered, or generally known. Typically, simply having previously described or created a similar process or technology at any point in time by any one constitutes prior art in patent law. <ref name="EPO" />
The act requires courts to have losing parties provide for "reasonable fees and other expenses" incurred by the other party throughout litigation. The award may be waived only if the losing party is found to have just legal and factual cause to be part of the litigation. If the losing party is unable to pay due to extraordinary circumstances, the court may ask a joined or interested party to cover the award. <ref name="innovationacttext" />
Once a plaintiff has claimed a patent in civil action, dismissing the civil action by proposing an agreement to not sue for infringement, referred to as a covenant, makes the plaintiff liable for payment of attorney fees. Payment may not be required if the plaintiff had the right to settle with a covenant without a court order or if payment would not serve the "interests of justice." <ref name="govtracksummary" />
===Joinder of Interested Parties===
