March Highlights: Countering Chinese Threats to IP
In March, China released its 15th Five-Year Plan — an economic policy roadmap that envisages how China can surpass America in innovation and “seize the commanding heights of science and technological development.” The plan repeatedly mentions the importance of intellectual property rights to China’s success. In doing so, it underscores a significant threat to U.S. innovation leadership: the rise of China as an innovation powerhouse and the associated actions it is taking related to IP to get there.
Many in Washington are familiar with the problem of Chinese IP theft, which is estimated to cost the United States between $225 and $600 billion annually. But China increasingly uses regulatory and legal mechanisms to tilt the playing field against foreign rights holders. These include: Patent term extension rules that disadvantage companies launching products first outside China; a patent linkage system that offers weaker protections than in the United States; judicial procedures that require upfront details on infringement that may be impossible to have before case discovery; limited transparency in court decisions; efforts by Chinese courts to set global royalty rates for standard-essential patents without the consent of patent owners; and the use of forced technology transfer to coerce foreign companies into sharing proprietary technologies as a condition of market access.
However, for the United States to counter China, it is not enough to address China’s unfair practices. U.S. policymakers must also engage in proactive efforts to restore the U.S. patent system’s status as the global gold standard, such as passing legislation to restore access to injunctive relief, combat abusive litigation at the PTAB, and eliminate judge-created barriers to patent eligibility. To that end, C4IP advocated throughout March for policymakers to pass pro-IP reforms to secure America’s continued leadership over China:
- C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen sent a letter to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in advance of its upcoming hearing on Chinese IP theft, urging lawmakers not only to confront China’s IP-related abuses but also to comprehensively strengthen U.S. IP rights as a foundation of American competitiveness.
Read It Now: “C4IP Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee RE: Hearing on China and IP Theft“
Additional Coalition Updates
- Coming Soon: C4IP will release its 2026 Congressional Innovation Scorecard, an annual report grading members of Congress on their performance on innovation and IP issues. Stay tuned for more details.
- On April 26, C4IP and the global innovation community will mark World IP Day, which this year highlights the role of IP in sports. From patented equipment and wearable technologies that push the boundaries of athletic performance, to trademarks and designs that define teams, events, and brands, to copyrighted broadcasts that bring games to fans worldwide, IP protections help power the modern sports ecosystem. Together, these protections enable continued investment in the technologies, experiences, and industries that make sports more dynamic, accessible, and globally connected.
- Stay tuned for more details on how C4IP plans to commemorate this important annual recognition of IP.
- On April 23, C4IP Chief Policy Officer and Counsel Jamie Simpson will speak about the intersection of AI, IP rights, and business at the Center for IP Understanding’s 2026 Intellectual Property Awareness Summit (IPAS) in Columbus, Ohio. Half-price tickets are available online using the code IPAS2650.
- On April 23, C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen will participate in the UNC Charlotte 2026 Invention of the Year Awards, which recognize cutting-edge inventions in the life sciences, data, energy, and materials. Cullen was selected to serve as a judge along with other innovation experts for this annual event.
- On April 2, C4IP Chief Policy Officer and Counsel Jamie Simpson participated in a panel discussion focused on “Innovation and Licensing in an Evolving U.S. IP Environment” as part of the LES Silicon Valley Chapter’s 22nd Annual Chapter Conference.
- On March 25, C4IP Co-Chair Andrei Iancu and Board Member Judge Paul Michel were featured experts in IP policy panel discussions at LeadershIP 2026, an annual policy conference hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
- On March 24, C4IP Co-Chairs and former USPTO Directors Andrei Iancu and David Kappos were inducted into the IPWatchdog Masters Hall of Fame in recognition of their significant, career-long contributions to protecting the U.S. IP system.
- On March 24, C4IP Executive Director Frank Cullen sent a letter to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet highlighting recent USPTO policy successes and urging further thoughtful action to reform the PTAB, restore patent eligibility, and promote AI innovation.
- On March 20, C4IP Co-Chair and former USPTO Director Andrei Iancu, alongside former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish, published an opinion essay in Fox News arguing that the Trump administration’s efforts to stop foreign governments from weakening Americans’ IP rights are the unheralded cornerstone of its trade policy.