Who We Are
The Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) was established in 2007 as an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Today, the GIPC is leading a worldwide effort to champion intellectual property rights as vital to creating jobs, saving lives, advancing global economic growth, and generating breakthrough solutions to global challenges.
Our Challenge
In the 21st Century, innovation and creativity will remain the driving forces behind America’s competitiveness and economic future. Neither can thrive without the strong intellectual property (IP) rights—embodied in patents, copyrights, and trademarks—that incentivize these “creations of the mind,” encourage investment and commercialization, and help advance the spread of knowledge globally. That is why these important rights must be constantly protected and promoted.
Despite the critical role that IP plays to our economy and society, intellectual property rights are under attack from three major groups that are undoing generations of progress. The first is a growing movement of anti-IP activists drawn from universities, foundations, and special interest groups who are often pursuing short-term objectives or misguided strategies. These actors can often shape the views and actions of a second group: governments that either view IP rights as an obstacle—rather than a solution—to economic growth and development, or that seek exceptions to longstanding IP laws and norms as a way to advance their own industrial policies and competitiveness. A third threat comes from criminals and their organizations who have built a $600 billion global enterprise of counterfeiting and piracy that destroys jobs, undermines innovation, and endangers the public.
Innovation has been at the core of America's success since our earliest days when the Founding Fathers enshrined intellectual property (IP) protection in the Constitution's Article 1, Section 8, which states, "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." America's global innovation leadership has stemmed from this fundamental principle that protecting intellectual property encourages new advances.
Our Goals
To meet these threats to workers, innovators, creators, consumers, and IP-based industries, the Global IP Center is leading a worldwide effort to protect innovation and creativity by promoting strong IP rights and norms around the world. This endeavor begins in Washington, D.C., extends to countries on four major continents, and includes multilateral fora around the world. Through a wide variety programs, initiatives, and activities, the GIPC works to achieve the following goals:
- Strengthen the protection and enforcement of IP rights in the United States and abroad.
- Promote and defend the current system of IP rights and norms in the United States, key countries, and multilateral fora; and,
- Raise awareness and increase support among key audiences for the value of strong IP rights as a driver of innovation and creativity.
