Intellectual Property
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As nations engage in a race for global advantage in innovation, ITIF champions a new policy paradigm that ensures businesses and national economies can compete successfully by spurring public and private investment in foundational areas such as research, skills, and 21st century infrastructure. Our work on intellectual property issues includes analysis of how appropriately governed intellectual property protections—including patents, copyright, trademarks, and trade secrets—drive innovation.

Vice President and Director, Center for Data Innovation
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
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Vice President, Global Innovation Policy, and Director, Center for Life Sciences Innovation
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
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Losing the Lead: Why the United States Must Reassert Itself as a Global Champion for Robust IP Rights

Arguments for weakening IP rights have been gaining traction in the United States to enable a redistribution agenda. But spurring U.S. competitiveness, supporting American jobs, and advancing innovation will require the federal government to step up its game in defense of a more robust global IP regime.
More Publications and Events
June 26, 2025|Events
Foreign Online Piracy: How the Courts Can Protect American IP
The event featured remarks from policymakers, legal experts, and industry leaders who assessed the scope of the threat and the legal and technical frameworks that can help address foreign online piracy.
June 25, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Comments to the United States Patent and Trademark Office Regarding Countering Illicit Trade
The OECD guidelines are a critical step in shaping how global e-commerce operates. But unless they reflect the geopolitical and regulatory asymmetries that define today’s counterfeit trade, they will fall short of their ambition.
June 11, 2025|Blogs
How Policymakers Can Stop Chinese Copycat Commerce
Chinese e-commerce platforms are profiting from large-scale design theft that undermines independent creators on sites like Etsy. U.S. policymakers should respond with stronger IP enforcement and trade regulations to protect the American creative economy.
June 10, 2025|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles
Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts Must Hold China Accountable
In Law360, Eli Clemens argues that international anti-counterfeiting efforts must directly confront China’s central role in the counterfeit trade, or risk rendering global enforcement guidelines ineffective.
June 9, 2025|Reports & Briefings
Blocking Access to Foreign Pirate Sites: A Long-Overdue Task for Congress
More than a decade after the overheated SOPA/PIPA debate, experience from around the world shows that blocking access to piracy websites is an effective way to protect copyright holders and increase legal content consumption without harming legal commerce or free expression.
June 5, 2025|Presentations
Stakeholder Comments Regarding OECD Online Marketplace Guidelines
Eli Clemens spoke at a stakeholder roundtable discussion hosted by the OECD and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Clemens urged the OECD to confront China's role as the main source of counterfeit goods in global ecommerce.
June 5, 2025|Presentations
Roundtable: OECD Online Marketplace Guidelines
Eli Clemens speaks about OECD's Draft Voluntary Guidelines for Countering Illicit Trade in Counterfeit Goods on Online Marketplaces at a roundtable discussion hosted by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
May 12, 2025|Blogs
If AI Training Is Theft, Then Everyone’s a Thief
The UK should reject misleading claims that AI training is theft and instead adopt a modern, permissive copyright framework that protects creativity while enabling the innovation needed to become a global AI leader.
April 11, 2025|Blogs
Why the US Should Block Piracy
The Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA) would let U.S. courts block access to foreign piracy sites that profit off stolen American content, aligning the U.S. with over 40 countries that already take similar action. Despite critics' claims of censorship, the bill targets only sites primarily designed for copyright theft, offering a lawful, narrow solution to a billion-dollar problem.
February 25, 2025|Testimonies & Filings
Comments to the UK Government on Proposed Changes to the Copyright, Design, and Patents Act 1988
The Center for Data Innovation submitted these comments to the UK government’s Intellectual Property Office, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and Department for Culture, Media and Sport on its consultation on proposed changes to the UK’s copyright regime, the Copyright, Design, and Patents Act (CDPA) 1988.