WASHINGTON (July 11, 2023) — Today, the Council for Innovation Promotion released a policy agenda that, if implemented, would strengthen intellectual property rights in the United States and secure the country’s position as the innovation hub of the world.
“Our new policy agenda confronts the recent domestic and global attacks on the United States IP system,” said Frank Cullen, executive director of C4IP. “We’re proud to offer this comprehensive blueprint of policy priorities that will help promote ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and the growth of the U.S. economy.”
Written and developed by some of the leading thinkers in IP, including two former directors of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), “Reaffirm and Refine: A Government Agenda for Intellectual Property” highlights multiple areas where Congress can enhance IP rights in the United States. Priorities include:
- Restoring patent holders’ historical right to have exclusive control of their invention, thereby incentivizing further investment in groundbreaking ideas and innovation.
- Passing the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, which will ensure that patent protection extends to all cutting-edge areas of technology, helping to maintain the United States’ technological preeminence.
- Reforming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board so that it is fairer to small businesses and inventors by eliminating duplicative and repetitive proceedings, especially as they routinely face challenges from some of the largest, well-funded corporations that have used their inventions without permission.
- Addressing the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed non-compete prohibition, which exposes businesses to trade secret theft by allowing top executives to immediately defect to competing companies.
- Returning user fees to the USPTO so it can successfully and efficiently advocate for IP rights in the United States and build state-of-the-art examination tools to promote the efficient issuance of patents and trademarks.
“The United States has long been a powerhouse for innovation and entrepreneurship. If we are to keep that perch, Congress must ensure that American businesses, creators, and inventors have secure IP rights,” said Andrei Iancu, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2018 to 2021. “A strong innovation economy depends on a reliable IP system, which in turn can be assured by implementing these policy priorities.”
“We are living in an unprecedented era of innovation. If lawmakers advance the policy priorities we’ve outlined, the United States will continue to be a global leader in emerging sectors like biotechnology, green energy, and advanced computing,” said Dave Kappos, board co-chair of C4IP and former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and USPTO Director from 2009 to 2013. “Now is the time to preserve, protect, and enhance IP rights.”
To download a copy of “Reaffirm and Refine: A Government Agenda for Intellectual property”, click here. To schedule an interview with C4IP, please contact Morgan Miller at morgan@keybridge.biz or 202-990-3350.
About the 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.