Washington, D.C. – Kelly Anderson, Executive Director, U.S. Chamber Global Innovation Policy Center, issued the following statement in response to the release of the 2023 Special 301 Report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The annual report reviews the global state of intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement.
“While this report highlights the importance of safeguarding IP rights critical to continued investment, the backsliding evidenced through the debate over the WTO TRIPS waiver indicates that the United States may be abdicating its traditional role in upholding IP rights. If the United States will not lead, who will?
“The Chamber is encouraged that USTR's Special 301 Report highlights many of the business community's ongoing concerns, including challenges in China, India, Latin America, and the European Union. In addition, the report highlights how nations worldwide, including many of America's trading partners, would reap significant benefits by implementing further reforms to promote greater participation in the global innovation economy.
"The Chamber's own International IP Index illustrates that when economies make a conscious policy choice to invest in strong IP protection, the economic benefits are real. Economies with stronger protections for intellectual property are more likely to enjoy a host of socio-economic benefits, including greater access to venture capital, more private sector investment in R&D, and stronger overall business environments.
"The Chamber strongly supports efforts to advance evidence-driven discussions on IP policy in global markets, and USTR's Special 301 report supports this objective. We urge the U.S. government to re-establish its global leadership position to advance a more effective IP framework in the multilateral organizations and countries around the world."
Click here to view the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's submission to this year's Special 301 Report.
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