Fiddling with Irish Music Royalties in the WTO
How the Irish Music Rights Organization took on U.S. copyright law in the WTO – and won – yet your favorite pub is still allowed to play Irish music for you for free.
“Special 301”: How the U.S. Monitors Intellectual Property Protections in International Trade
Special 301 rules direct the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to identify foreign countries that don’t do enough to protect intellectual property rights. Involvement from the private sector is also critical to prevent intellectual property theft.
Is It Just a Phase? Redesigning Trade Deals in the Age of Trump
The U.S. and China signed a trade deal on Jan 15. Attempting to rewire China’s economic system cannot be achieved in one pass – an agreement this ambitious would have to be built in phases. What does that mean for the future of trade deals?
What Today’s USMCA Debate Has to Do with The Drugs of Tomorrow
The political winds seem to be blowing in favor of a Congressional vote on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA) yet this fall. But before they vote, some Members of Congress want to talk over a few issues with the Trump administration’s negotiators. One is intellectual property protections for the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry. As important as it is, the issue of data protection for biologic drugs is not well understood.
From the Bible to Chairman Mao’s Quotations: How Trade Agreements Can Promote Global Book Publishing
The popularity of American novels, textbooks, and scholarly works is driving efforts to translate and sell U.S.-published books in countries around the world. Digital publishing offers access to many more consumers beyond our borders. The main challenge to global expansion is the need to promote modern copyright regimes in the countries where publishers seek to sell more books
Patents aren’t a Pat on the Back, They are the Backbone of Life-Enhancing Discoveries
The National Inventors museum inducted fifteen more members into its Hall of Fame. Among those honored were Marvin Caruthers, Arogyaswami Paulraj, and Stan Honey. You may not have heard these names, but you’ve benefited from their inventions.
The Role of Trade in Your Medicine Cabinet
Despite the diffusion of drug production globally, a full three-quarters of spending on medicines in the United States is on products that are manufactured domestically, by both American and foreign companies.
China’s Addiction to Intellectual Property Theft
President Trump just announced $50 billion worth of tariffs and other penalties on China for its theft of intellectual property, technology, and trade secrets. China will not change its behavior absent external pressure — pushing back against the constant drain from Chinese IP theft is long overdue.
Protecting Big Ideas by Small Firms
Small businesses have more opportunities than ever to sell to customers around the world, but IP theft is one of their biggest risks to pursuing these sales. Just ask Liz Fields, a successful designer of bridesmaid and wedding dresses, who found counterfeit versions of her designs undercutting her business — and her credibility.
Trade Policy Without Innovation is Only Half a Strategy
If the Trump administration confronts China over unfair trade practices it will need to ignore handwringing from trade groups, but the action will still offer only half of a solution. It generally doesn’t help when you are losing a race to complain that your competitors are running too fast. To stay in the lead, you have to pick up the pace.