Updated

President Obama will sign the "America Invents Act" Friday with an event in the Washington, DC area, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Carney said, "The America Invents Act passed with the president's strong leadership after a decade of effort to reform our outdated patent laws."

Patent reform is an issue both the White House and Congress have pushed for some time. The America Invents Act, previously known as the Patent Reform Act of 2011, was passed by the House in June with large bipartisan support. The U.S. Senate approved the House version of the bill last week voting 89-9.

At the event Friday, Carney told reporters President Obama will announce new steps the White House is taking to "convert ideas of American Universities and research labs into new products to expand our economy and create jobs."