3M spent $345,000 lobbying on patent reform, other issues

WASHINGTON—3M Co., the maker of Scotch Tape and Post-It Notes, spent more than $345,000 in the first quarter to lobby on patent reform legislation and a host of other issues, according to a disclosure form.

The company also lobbied the federal government on legislation involving emissions control, clean air, online censorship, defense spending, disaster planning, climate change, food safety, electronic medical records, border managment technology, homeland security spending, pension reform, traffic safety, tax credits, tort reform, and international trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama.

Legislation intended to improve patent quality and reduce litigation was approved by the House last year, but has since stalled in the Senate. Many manufacturers, such as 3M, opposed provisions in the bill that would have limited damages awards to companies whose patents were infringed.

In the January-to-March period, 3M lobbied Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the departments of Transportation, Commerce, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, State, Labor, Veterans' Affairs, and Treasury.

It filed the disclosure form April 21 with the clerk's office of House.