Global Innovation Policy Center

These days,  there are few things that Washington can agree on. Recently, 70 think tanks, advocacy groups, and thought leaders from across the political spectrum proved the exception to the rule when they sent an open letter to Congress and the Trump administration in support of American innovation. The heart... [READ MORE]

This article was originally published in Above the Fold on February 20, 2017. Since our nation’s founding, intellectual property (IP) has played a key role in American economic growth. Today, the same protections that were enshrined in our Constitution are a source of more than 45 million American jobs – that’s nearly one-third... [READ MORE]

In case you missed it, the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune have recently featured pieces on the myth of unfree trade, knocking at critics of two ambitious trade pacts the U.S. is currently pursuing. Unsurprisingly, the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have recently become the object of anti-trade affections. However, when you cut through the hullabaloo and histrionics, you’re actually left with two well-positioned trade agreements destined to benefit U.S. jobs and the economy.

With the onset of global trade, economies that are oceans apart, both literally and figuratively, are trying to figure out how to navigate the global economy. While some nations appear to be sailing smoothly, others are commandeering rough seas feeling every ebb and flow of development.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) unveiled its 2014 International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, a survey of 25 countries with diverse economies reflected in varying market size, level of development, and geography.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) today unveiled its 2014 International Intellectual Property (IP) Index, a survey of 25 countries with diverse economies reflected in varying market size, level of development, and geography. Charting the Course provides an empirically-based measurement and comparison of the IP environments of each country.

The 20th anniversary of NAFTA has put trade within the North American region back in the spotlight, highlighting the importance of free trade and ensuring the right, comprehensive rules in these agreements. Yesterday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Mark Elliot, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) provided testimony on key intellectual property (IP) matters related to NAFTA and the North American region.

There are many things that the U.S. and Canada share: access to the Great Lakes, appreciation for the musical talents of Celine Dion and Justin Bieber—both native Canadians—and a love of ice hockey. But when it comes to intellectual property protections, unfortunately the U.S. and Canada are not on the same page.

Imagine the U.S. economy minus the entire state of New York. While such a reality may be to New Jersey’s or the West Coast’s delight, the economic impact stemming from a state the size of New York adds to the U.S. economy as a whole, producing huge contributions to national exports, GDP, and jobs.

After nearly four years, 19 negotiating rounds, and the expansion of the negotiating table to include 12 countries, the United States is in the end-game of one of the most comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement the world has ever seen. But as the text is negotiated and areas of contention are ironed out, we must keep in mind that innovation is the bread and butter of the U.S. economy.