Intellectual Property Theft Damages American Innovation and Competitiveness
The intellectual property (IP) generated by U.S. companies is critical to America’s prosperity and leadership in the global economy. IP makes up more than half of all U.S. exports, driving 40% of the country’s growth (U.S. Department of Commerce).
IP theft costs the U.S. economy $250 billion per year (FBI) and has resulted in the loss of 750,000 jobs (U.S. Customs and Border Protection).
Entrepreneurs devote time, money, and sweat into creating the next must-have technologies. We need to encourage this innovation and protect it so that entrepreneurs know that they will enjoy the economic benefits of their creations in the free market.
Failure to Protect IP Hurts Jobs and Threatens Health and Safety
The IP of innovative industries is increasingly under assault around the globe as governments and non-governmental organizations aggressively seek to erode patent, trademark, and copyright protections.
Protecting IP benefits consumers, supports health and safety standards, attracts investment, and creates jobs while expanding access to technology and medicines.
The U.S. Chamber Believes That IP Is a Vital Engine for Global Development and Growth
The Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) launched a comprehensive campaign to rebuild global support for fundamental intellectual property rights. The GIPC has four primary goals:
Document and explain the value of IP.
Ensure strong government support for IP in the United States.
Rally allied nations and organizations to defend IP.
Hold anti-IP governments accountable.
Programs for 2008 include:
Encouraging Congress to pass IP legislation that toughens penalties, enhances enforcement resources, and improves coordination within the executive branch.
Working with our global allies to secure support for strong IP standards and oppose efforts—specifically at norms-setting multilateral forums—to weaken IP protection.
Centralizing global IP intelligence to more effectively execute global joint law enforcement activities through a partnership with Interpol.
Joining with traditional and nontraditional allies in a global communications campaign in the media and blogosphere to explain the benefits of IP protection and confront and defeat anti-IP activists.
To meet the serious criminal and policy threats facing innovators, IP-based industries, and consumers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce created the Global Intellectual Property Center, which is leading a worldwide effort against the assault on IP.
