The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to overhaul U.S. patent laws, backing a measure aimed at chipping away at a huge backlog of patent applications and offering cheaper alternatives to litigation.

In a 95-5 vote, the Senate approved on Tuesday the bill that would boost funding for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and sets up mechanisms for objecting to patent applications and for challenging patents before they reach the courts.

Click here to read the full article.