Patent law’s not exogenous---strong IP’s key to breakthrough solution to global threats---solves disease, famine, water shortages
Mark Esper 9, Executive Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global IP Center, “CLIMATE FOR INNOVATION: TECHNOLOGY AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN GLOBAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS”, Hearing Before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming House of Representatives, 7/29/2009, https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-111hhrg62451/html/CHRG-111hhrg62451.htm
The Global IP Center and its members believe that strong intellectual property rights are integral to driving the innovation and creativity necessary to create jobs, save lives, advance economic growth and development around the world, and generate breakthrough solutions to global challenges such as climate change.
Our Nation's Founders recognized the link between strong IP rights and innovation more than 200 years ago and explicitly gave Congress the power to protect IP rights in the constitution. As a result, America has led the world in innovation for generations.
Today, the United States IP is worth between $5 and $5.5 trillion. IP accounts for more than half of all U.S. exports, helping drive 40 percent of the United States economic growth; and, as of 2008, IP-intensive industries employed more than 18 million Americans. But beyond driving job creating and economic growth, strong IP rights have created a secure framework for investment in research that led to solving some of the world's most difficult problems, from disease and famine to water scarcity and energy security, just to name a few.
In addition to protecting and incentivizing inventors, strong IP rights are also integral to promoting technology deployment and diffusion by providing a clear legal framework by which companies can transact business.