WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) held its inaugural Intellectual Property (IP) Champions Conference today to highlight significant achievements by innovators, academics, and enforcement agencies to protect jobs, secure consumer safety, advance future innovation, and promote access to new technologies and content.

“These IP Champions contributed tremendously to the global economy by protecting and bolstering intellectual property,” said David Hirschmann, president and CEO of the GIPC. “Our awardees are vivid examples of how innovation and creativity, incentivized by a strong intellectual property rights system, strengthen the economy, create jobs, protect consumers, and advance innovation to solve global challenges.”

The 2013 IP Champions are:

• John Morton, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for his leadership and constant advocacy for tough and sensible criminal enforcement of IP rights.
• Eden Full, entrepreneur and founder of Roseicoillis Technologies Inc., for her work to bring breakthrough solar panel tracking technology to developing economies.
• Jonathan Taplin, professor at the University of Southern California Annenberg, for his landmark research and advocacy work to highlight the detrimental impact of IP theft.
• Operation Bitter Pill, for saving countless consumers from falling prey to 686 illegitimate online pharmacies.
• Counterfeit Airbags in Chattanooga, an operation to protect consumers from an extremely dangerous counterfeiting operation of illicit airbags.
• Project Cyber Monday 3, for removing 249 domain names that undercut legitimate American businesses by selling counterfeit goods.
• International Counterfeiting Ring, an operation to dismantle two global counterfeiting schemes responsible for distributing over $300 million in illicit goods.
• Southwest Flea Market in Memphis, a case resulting in the seizures of over 137,000 consumer goods with a retail price of more than $21.5 million.

To learn more about this year’s IP Champions, please visit www.theglobalipcenter.com/IPChampions

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.

www.uschamber.com            @USChamber            www.freeenterprise.com

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