New Organization Created to Promote Strong IP RightsOctober 4, 2022

The Council for Innovation Promotion was launched on September 22 as a bipartisan coalition to promote strong and effective intellectual property rights. The organization was formed by a team of leaders in intellectual property:

  • Frank Cullen, former V.P of U.S. Policy, Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center;
  • Andrei Iancu, former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2018-2021);
  • David Kappos, former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (2009-2013);
  • Judge Paul Michel, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (1998-2010); and
  • Judge Kathleen O’Malley, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (2020-2022).

The Council recognizes that the U.S. Constitution enshrined intellectual property rights through the understanding of our Founding Fathers. The Council believes that IP rights drive innovation, boosts economic competitiveness, and improves lives everywhere. Through a variety of advocacy programs, initiatives, and campaigns, they hope to elevate the importance of domestic and international IP rights.  The plan is to form a coalition of stakeholders to advocate to political and non-political groups.

These leaders see mounting threats, both domestic and foreign, that are undermining historically strong innovation in the United States. The recent relentless attacks effect every  aspect of innovation. They fear that lawmakers and activists are trying to dismantle the system of protection that has worked so well for more than 200 years. One example is the proposal from multiple countries to waive IP rights for Covid diagnostics and therapeutics.  Within the U.S., some are asking the administration to nullify drug patents and to seize patents without compensation to the inventor and patent owners. Such efforts, if successful, could thwart medical research and development for life-saving solutions to disease, to the detriment of patients suffering from various ailments. Weakening the incentives to conduct innovation will have serious consequences for the global economy and millions of workers in a wide variety of industries.

The organization seeks to educate policymakers and the public about the importance of IP rights in maintaining worldwide innovation leadership. They note that one third of all U.S. workers and almost 50% of the U.S. economic output is directly related to IP-intensive industries. They state that “modern society would not be possible without IP rights,” citing everything from pharmaceuticals to automobiles to smartphones and laptops. They recognize that IP rights provide the incentives and protections for creators, such as Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Silicon Valley, and bio-agricultural researchers developing ways to feed the world.

In short, the organization plans to tell the story of innovation and it’s importance to the success of our country. The hope to  explain why strong IP rights are necessary, and a key component behind innovation. They want to support and  promote “America’s preeminence as the most innovative country in the world,” where inventors and companies are rewarded and celebrated for their hard work.

For more information about the new organization, see their website at www.c4ip.org.

Kirk Hartung is a member of the Mechanical Patent Practice Group at McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC. For additional information please visit  www.ipmvs.com or contact Kirk directly via email at kirk.hartung@ipmvs.com.

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