Global

Although skeptics call IP an “elite concern,” recent reports from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the European Patent Office (EPO) show the positive impact IP has on small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), overall employment, and regional and global economies.

When national governments take steps to help their own economies, they can end up helping other economies, too. Sometimes that result is a win-win. But all too often the result is beneficial for a nation’s direct competitors in the fierce race for global advantage in key, innovation-based industries.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a horrific violation of international norms and human rights. Putin’s actions have sent a wake-up call to much of the world.

And rightly, many countries and companies are taking steps to penalize Russia for its aggressive actions, including economic sanctions.

From 2000 to 2016 new robot adoption grew by roughly 70 percent in North America and Europe, whereas it grew more than 300 percent in the rest of the world.

This 28-fold increase from 2012 to 2020 was driven primarily by investment growth in the United States and China.

Including U.S. firms on the official list that names and shames havens for piracy and counterfeiting would give the false impression that America has weak IP enforcement and undermine U.S. efforts to convince other countries to do more to address the problem.

Rob and Jackie sat down with Chris Caine, president of the Center for Global Enterprise, to break down the reasons for the massive disruption, discuss how different industry sectors are making different strategic calculations, and consider what the future might hold.

To meet growing global demand for energy services while averting the worst consequences of climate change, the world must accelerate clean energy innovation. Western Europe contributes most to this global process. The United States has faltered. And China has a long way to go.

Countries that value a rules-based global digital economy need to come together to enact new global data-management rules.

ITIF hosted a panel discussion on a new report on global data localization and what policymakers need to develop new rules, norms, frameworks, and agreements to support data flows.

The United States needs to shift from an approach to power trade that is based on advancing U.S. foreign policy interests to an approach that focuses on advancing U.S. competitive advantage against China, especially in critical advanced technology sectors.

Those who really want to solve the problem should abandon ill-advised proposals like patent waivers and focus instead on cooperative solutions to overcoming supply-chain constraints. The sooner that happens, the sooner we can all breathe freely again.