Forum for Intellectual Property

The US innovation economy has been driven for over two centuries by intellectual property rights: patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. By securing reliable and effective property rights in the fruits of innovative and creative labors, the US has led the world in the technologies and commercial sectors that are the hallmarks of modern life, such as telecommunications, medical care, computers, energy, transportation, and entertainment. Intellectual property rights have continued to spur productive labors in creating and commercializing next-generation innovations, such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, and DNA-based medical care (including the mRNA platform used to create vaccines for COVID-19).

Today, intellectual property rights are broadly under attack and have been weakened, both domestically and internationally. To address these challenges, the Forum for Intellectual Property supports scholarly research on how intellectual property rights, secured by stable political and legal institutions governed by the rule of law, are a key factor in economic growth and rising standards of living. The Forum for Intellectual Property disseminates this research to the Washington policy community through white papers, policy memos, panels, and conferences.