U.S. Chamber of Commerce Awards Leaders in Innovation, Promotes Role of Intellectual Property at IP Champions Event

Champions Event

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) today hosted the 3rd annual 2015 IP Champions event to showcase the role intellectual property (IP) has in promoting innovation, and award innovative leaders from across the globe. Coinciding with World IP Day, celebrated every year on April 26, the event highlighted the role of intellectual property in encouraging innovation and creativity around the world. This year’s awardees include innovators from across the United States and globally.

“From developing new lifesaving medical technologies, creating cures for terrible diseases, or making unsafe water safe for consumption, the individuals, businesses, and ideas honored today represent some of the very best examples of innovation from around the world,” said David Hirschmann, president and CEO of GIPC. “Defining the true meaning of World IP Day, IP and innovation are the commonalities that all of today’s awardees share, and GIPC looks forward to continuing to work with today’s winners, government officials, and stakeholders around the world to promote and protect IP.”

Additionally, the event featured remarks from John Sandage, deputy general at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Russell Slifer, deputy undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and deputy director at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The full list of awardees and their contribution to promoting or protecting innovation is below:

Second Sight
Second Sight created the Argus II bionic eye system, a prosthetic ocular device that provides sight to the blind.

Joe E. Kiani, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Masimo Corporation
Mr. Kiani and Masimo have developed over 575 patents and created several innovative non-evasive patient monitoring devices.

Louis Foreman, Product Development and Innovation Expert, Edison Nation
Mr. Foreman and Edison Nation have led groundbreaking efforts to foster new innovative entrepreneurs by providing funding and product development expertise to inventors in need.

Professor Arup K. SenGupta, Ph.D., Lehigh University,
Professor SenGupta, while working with other engineers at Lehigh University, developed a simple filter that removes arsenic from well water enabling more than a million people around the world to drink safe, affordable, arsenic-free water.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude’s developed a new gene theory to treat anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), which also led to issued patents that were licensed to develop therapeutics for treatment of lung cancer in adults.

Xiaoqing Liu, LeTV
LeTV is one of China’s foremost online content producers and technological platforms and responsible for creating China’s highest grossing film “Tiny Times.” LeTV and Ms. LIU advocate against piracy in China and are featured in GIPC’s documentary “Creativity and Innovation: A Watershed Transforming China.”

Tu Creación Vale Campaign, AmCham Chile
AmCham Chile’s “Tu Creación Vale” campaign highlights the significant contributions from the country’s creators and artists.

TAG Brand Integrity Program Against Piracy
TAG is a voluntary industry agreement between the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) to reduce advertising on websites associated with content theft and counterfeiting.

Long Island Counterfeit Health and Personal Care Products Investigation, National IPR Coordination Center
The joint investigative operation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Nassau County officials on Long Island, NY, uncovered and shut down the sale and distribution of counterfeit health and personal care products.

Mercado Ilegal App, AmCham Costa Rica
“Mercado Ilegal” is an interactive mobile tool for reporting illicit trade and counterfeit goods in Costa Rica to local authorities.

The Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center is working around the world to champion intellectual property (IP) rights as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth, and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.