Patent reform could be happening soon, writes Kevin Noonan at Patent Docs. At a meeting held by BIO, Joseph Matal, the Republican general counsel for the Senate judiciary committee, says the Senate will "reach a deal" on the patent reform bill and that the House of Representatives will then pass that bill this year or early next year. According to Noonan, Matal gave the odds as 70 to 80 percent and that the bill will be largely similar to S. 515.