Intellectual property (IP) protections help more than just our inventors and entrepreneurs – they’re at the core of our art and entertainment industry. Thankfully, an increasing number of artists are using their platforms to advocate for strong IP systems and to educate others on its economic and societal importance.

Last year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center presented Mark McGrath, Billy Morrison, and Bruce Cohen with its 2016 IP Champion Award for Excellence in Creativity to highlight their amazing contributions to the creative community and to underscore the importance of creative content to our shared cultural experience.

Learn more about our 2016 IP Champions for Excellence in Creativity below!

Mark McGrath is the lead singer and songwriter for the world-famous band Sugar Ray. Throughout his musical career, he has had a string of top ten hits, several multi-platinum albums, and countless sold-out tours. Billy Morrison is a true artist. He is currently the guitarist for the legendary Billy Idol and co-wrote the majority of Idol’s 2014 hit album Kings & Queens. In addition to his musical accolades, Morrison is a skilled actor and painter and has even designed his own signature guitar for Gibson.

Mr. McGrath and Mr. Morrison understand the value IP protections bring to the creative community, and in conjunction with their award last year, they co-authored an op-ed in U.S. News and World Report titled “Protect America’s Creative Future.”

 

Oscar award-winning producer Bruce Cohen has been a tireless advocate for the creative community for more than 30 years. He has produced some of the most beloved movies of the past few decades, including American Beauty, Silver Linings Playbook, and Big Fish, among others. Mr. Cohen also serves on the Board of Governors of the Producer’s Guild and the Executive Committee of the Producer’s Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

These artists’ works – their music and movies and paintings – are underpinned by strong IP protections. Each of these artists represents the power of IP protections to encourage and inspire creative content we can hardly yet imagine.

Who will inspire you at this year’s IP Champions Gala? Join us on November 14 to honor our 2017 awardees.