Intellectual Property

Policy Priorities for 2008

• Prove and aggressively communicate the value of IP.
• Build an alliance of like-minded allies and individual champions of IP around the world.
• Mobilize these allies to renew government support for IP protection across the board, from domestic legislation to stronger enforcement to trade agreements.
• Confront and defeat anti-IP activists whose actions are destroying patents and frustrating economic and human progress.

• Document in a factual and comprehensive way how failure to protect IP undermines innovation and critical investment and erodes health and safety standards. Putting a credible body of facts on the table and gaining widespread agreement on those facts are critical first steps to forging consensus and forcing action. 
• Backed by solid research, develop a comprehensive global communications campaign to tell the story of how protecting IP benefits consumers, supports health and safety, attracts investment, and creates jobs while expanding access to technology and medicines.

• Build global allies in like-minded developed countries including Canada, the EU member states, France, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and Switzerland. Draw on existing collaborative relationships on IP issues, such as the U.S.-EU IP Working Group, the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) IP Working Group, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the G8. Reach out to sister business organizations in Europe, Japan, and other countries to promote similar efforts by them, including advocating pro-IP positions to their governments.

• Exert pressure at all levels of government, both foreign and domestic, and rally the grassroots coalition around efforts to strengthen IP enforcement by improving coordination, providing dedicated financial and law enforcement resources, and toughening existing laws.

• Assemble and mobilize a coalition of innovators, students, labor unions, and think tanks to vigorously challenge anti-IP activists. Develop a cadre of activists in the developing world who will be ideally situated to defend IP as innovators. Devote full-time staff to directly confront anti-IP activists at key institutions-the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Intellectual Property Organization, World Health Organization, and elsewhere.