March was a busy month for C4IP! We added to our leadership and engaged in advocacy on a variety of issues, from patent eligibility for AI inventions to the enforcement of U.S. patent rights abroad. Here’s a roundup of all that we accomplished over the past month:
- On April 26, C4IP will celebrate World IP Day! This year’s celebrations will focus on the importance of IP protection in music. Stay tuned for more details on how C4IP plans to commemorate this important annual recognition of IP.
- On April 2, C4IP Co-Chair David Kappos will deliver the keynote address at the 5th Annual Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA) Symposium in Boston, MA. More information about the event is available here.
- On April 1, C4IP Co-Chair Andrei Iancu, Board Member Judge Paul Michel (ret.), and Chief Policy Officer Jamie Simpson will feature in panel discussions on innovation, national security, and IP policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) conference, LeadershIP 2025. More information about the event is available here.
- On March 28, C4IP Co-Chair Andrei Iancu, Board Member Judge Paul Michel (ret.), and Advisory Board Member Walt Copan led a panel discussion on a new CSIS report that details how the Trump administration can advance national security and economic prosperity by protecting IP.
- On March 18, C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen submitted public comments to the USPTO expressing concern about a proposed World Intellectual Property Organization treaty that would require patent applicants to disclose the origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge used in their inventions, creating bureaucratic barriers that would jeopardize innovation.
- On March 17, C4IP Co-Chair Andrei Iancu spoke on the Two Mikes Live podcast about the threats to IP he dealt with as USPTO Director during President Trump’s first term and the IP challenges the Trump administration is facing now.
- On March 17, C4IP announced that John Cabeca, a longtime IP advocate with over 30 years of experience at the USPTO — including as chief of staff to C4IP Co-Chair David Kappos during the latter’s tenure as USPTO Director — has joined C4IP as Chief Operations Officer.
- John’s appointment was reported in Politico’s Influence newsletter.
- On March 13, C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen submitted public comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission explaining why the existence of RAND commitments on a patent should not undermine the commission’s authority or willingness to block the importation of infringing products.
- C4IP’s comments were referenced in a Law360 article summarizing many of the high-profile comments sent to the ITC.
- On March 12, C4IP released the final video in our Patent Myth Video Series, which explains FRAND licensing and debunks the common misconception that owners of standard-essential patents (SEPs) price-gouge their licensees.
Watch Now: “Patent Myth Video Series: FRAND Licensing Rates”
- On March 11, C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen issued a statement applauding the nomination of John Squires as USPTO Director and underscoring how his extensive experience in IP law equips him to strengthen U.S. innovation policy.
- On March 10, C4IP Chief Policy Officer and Counsel Jamie Simpson’s recent opinion essay in the Engage Reader on how the PREVAIL Act, RESTORE Patent Rights Act, and IDEA Act would help protect independent and women inventors was featured again as an Engage Reader blog post.
- On March 4, C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen sent a letter to the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness urging careful congressional oversight of the U.S. Trade Representative’s upcoming Special 301 Report, which will highlight foreign policies that violate IP rights.
- ICYMI: C4IP is now on Bluesky! Follow @council4ip.bsky.social for the latest updates, insights, and discussions on intellectual property and innovation.