WASHINGTON (October 18, 2023) — Yesterday, the United States International Trade Commission published its report on a possible TRIPS waiver expansion. Frank Cullen, executive director of the Council for Innovation Promotion, issued the following statement regarding the report:
“Now that the USITC has completed its report, the Office of the United States Trade Representative should recommit itself to preserving intellectual property rights both domestically and abroad.
“Robust IP rights enabled American innovators to develop life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments in record time. Waiving American firms’ IP rights would undermine the system responsible for these historic successes and leave us ill-prepared for the next public health crisis.
“We look forward to the USTR taking decisive action to support U.S. IP rights. By detailing how the TRIPS waiver ultimately did not help the global health crisis, our leaders can and should prevent similar drastic calls for IP waivers from being presented in the future, including an expansion of the current TRIPS waiver without clear evidence of major need.”
About Council for Innovation Promotion: The Council for Innovation Promotion is a bipartisan coalition dedicated to promoting strong and effective intellectual property rights that drive innovation, boost economic competitiveness, and improve lives everywhere.