The Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) is very excited to announce the launch of The Innovation Lifecycle —a comprehensive, interactive multimedia platform that explores the importance of intellectual property (IP) in some of America’s most creative sectors.

The Innovation Lifecycle identifies the five stages required to take an idea from initial conception to final product in the marketplace. Users will be able to explore each stage and select from a diverse set of voices spanning the entertainment, pharmaceutical/biotechnology, and software industries. This interactive resource will provide legislators, policy makers, and the public with a better understanding of the important role that IP plays in our economy and society.

The GIPC recognizes that businesses and individuals pour blood, sweat, and tears into their creations, and without IP, their incentive to do so is greatly undermined. The Innovation Lifecycle tells the unique story of how IP attracts investment in both time and money. These investments in innovation range from research and development (R&D), infrastructure, employee growth, marketing, and distribution of products to consumers, in addition to ions of planning before any profits can even be thought of!

Plain and simple, IP provides innovators security to pursue transforming their ideas into realities that all of us can enjoy. There is no guarantee that a movie will be a hit, billions of dollars in medical research will lead to a new drug or that consumers will want the latest device or product.  But, without the promise that they will actually be able to get paid if they do succeed in developing a successful product, there is no way they can afford to hire the workers to spend the money to try. These decisions are being made every day.  The swiftest path to new jobs is to encourage innovators to take the plunge, hire the researchers, creative artists, and thousands of other jobs than need to be filled in the hope of developing the next thing.

It is our hope that The Innovation Lifecycle would show Congress and the Administration the need to promote sound IP policies to enable these ideas to see the light of day, and sustain strong IP enforcement efforts, like those addressed in rogue sites legislation, in the United States and abroad.

So please explore The Innovation Lifecycle today and be sure to share with us of how IP has helped the lifecycle of YOUR innovation!