Economic growth begins with ideas, innovation and creativity. Since the signing of the Constitution, the U.S. has protected the fruits of creativity and innovation through intellectual property protection, primarily expressed as patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets.
As our economy has become even more dependent on innovation, intellectual property issues have been pushed to the forefront. The clashes have led some to question the value and even the legitimacy of IP protection. While some of these attacks come from the libertarian perspective, most originate from the same naïve socialist impulses that so demonstrably failed in the realm of real property—but somehow are seen as thoughtful with respect to IP.
IPI believes that creators have the right to own and control the fruits of their creativity, and that the IP system has done an admirable job of not only incentivizing innovation, but also making creative products and services available to the public and transferring technology to the developing world.
Let Markets Succeed in Green Tech Innovation
The drive for new, more efficient, renewable “green tech” is real this time.
Diversion of USPTO User Fees: A Tax on Innovation
With the extraordinary turbulence of the global markets, the Obama Administration’s emphasis on stimulating the U.S. economy and creating U.S. jobs, and the increasing recognition from congressional appropriators that a strong patent system is critical to an innovation-friendly government, it is more important than ever that Congress pass a permanent legislative solution to the damaging practice of taxing innovation by diverting user fees away from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Still "Bad": A Critique of the Latest Attempt to Gut the DMCA
Congressman Rick Boucher’s latest proposal to make significant changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) would make substantial and unwise changes to U.S. copyright law based on nonexistent problems, and would put the United States in violation of our trade treaties, all in order to relieve copyright infringers of legal liability. It’s still a bad idea.
The True Cost of Copyright Industry Piracy to the U.S. Economy
Using a well-established U.S. government model and the latest copyright piracy figures, this study concludes that, each year, copyright piracy from motion pictures, sound recordings, business and entertainment software and video games costs the U.S. economy $58.0 billion in total output, costs American workers 373,375 jobs and $16.3 billion in earnings, and costs federal, state, and local governments $2.6 billion in tax revenue.
The True Cost of Sound Recording Piracy to the U.S. Economy
“Piracy” of recorded music costs the U.S. sound recording industries billions of dollars in lost revenue and profits. These losses, however, represent only a fraction of the impact of recorded music piracy on the U.S. economy as a whole. Combining the latest data on worldwide piracy of recorded music with multipliers from a well established U.S. government model, this study concludes that recorded music piracy costs American workers significant losses in jobs and earnings, and governments substantial lost tax revenue.
Would the Real Brazil Please Stand Up
Thailand has decided to “compulsory license” the AIDS drug Kaletra, made by the pharmaceutical manufacturer Abbott Laboratories.
Mountains Out of Molehills: How Believing the Worst Makes Technologists Ineffective, And What They Can Do About It
Technologists, and particularly computer programmers, seem to fixate on unlikely scenarios while giving only lip service to the massive copyright infringement now happening. When they do look at problems, they dismiss technical solutions because they are not perfect. And they ignore how laws can support or work alongside technology, because law is unfamiliar to them. By putting problems in perspective, technologists can be particularly effective in finding approaches to the real problems in today’s digital world.
What's "Fair"? Why Those Concerned About Copyright Fair Use Need to Say What They Mean
While many people in the copyright debate talk about "fair use," they seldom say which uses are of concern. But without specifics, it is hard to provide balanced exceptions to copyright protection. Congress should codify "fair use of necessity" and many instances of "economic fair use" so that people will know what is allowed, while reserving fair use primarily for the "transformative" or "productive" uses that reflect the
goal of copyright.
The True Cost of Motion Picture Piracy to the U.S. Economy
Motion picture piracy costs the film industry billions of dollars in lost revenue, but this is only a fraction of its impact on the total U.S. economy. Combining the latest data on worldwide movie piracy with multipliers from a respected U.S. government model, this study concludes that motion picture piracy costs American workers significant losses in jobs and earnings, and costs governments enormous lost tax revenue.
A Bad Trade: Will Congress Unwittingly Repeal the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Violate Our Trade Treaties?
Many are attempting to rewrite intellectual property protections by altering the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, whether by broadening definitions of permissible conduct such as “fair use”, or by wholesale changes to current law. However, many have failed to consider the ramifications of these changes to our international agreements. Some legislative proposals would require renegotiation or complete dissolution of these trade agreements.
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