IP Rights Protect American Workers
Apr 5, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017 4:22 pm
In his recent appearance at the CPAC, President Donald Trump delivered a rousing speech on the achievements that conservatives can expect to see in the next four years. During his speech, President Donald Trump recommitted to the promises he made during the election: to revitalize the economy and to bring back jobs to American workers. The president emphasized, “And our victory was a win for everyone who believes it’s time to stand up for America, to stand up for the American worker and to stand up for the American flag . . . We will promote our values. We will rebuild our inner cities. We will bring back our jobs and our dreams.“
President Trump’s plan to increase domestic employment has brought about a surge in confidence in the American workforce. This month, Gallup reported that for the first time in its history, a majority of people now believe that it is a “good time” to find a job. This may indicate an upcoming surge in the size of the labor force. Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 94,366,000 people aged 16 and older are not in the labor force, a number that has grown by over 16 million since January 2007.
However, the president’s plan to bring jobs back to the American economy will be incomplete without a renewed focus on protecting intellectual property. Intellectual Property is the backbone of the American economy, and in 2014 directly accounted for over 27.9 million jobs in 81 industries. Moreover, IP-intensive industries indirectly supported an addition 17.6 million supply chain jobs, and in total make up 30% of all U.S. employment.
Crucially, IP-industry jobs are vastly preferable to non-IP jobs; they pay, on average, 46% higher than jobs in non-IP intensive industries. IP-industry jobs are available to people with diverse educational backgrounds, and in 2015, over 60% of the people employed in the IP-sector were not required to hold a bachelor’s degree.
Despite the United States’ economic dependence on IP-industries, the legislature is failing to legally defend intellectual property. According to the Global Intellectual Property Center, a center within the United States Chamber of Commerce, the United States maintains “inconsistent enforcement against counterfeit and pirated goods, especially goods sold online.”
President Trump’s commitment to full employment of the American workforce necessitates increased protections for the industry that can put America back to work. The president is right; it’s time to stand up for the American worker. It’s time to stand up for IP rights. As the president declared during his CPAC speech, “It’s time for all Americans to get off welfare and get back to work.”
Last week, Property Rights Alliance joined a broad-based bipartisan coalition in sending a letter to the Trump Administration and the 115th Congress detailing guidelines on how legislators can improve IP protections in the United States. The letter explained that the United States cannot experience job growth and economic competitiveness without strong protections of our intellectual property rights. These rights are fundamental rights, grounded in the Constitution; moreover, they strengthen our country and our economy. The letter concludes, “The Founding Fathers understood that by protecting the proprietary rights of artists, authors, entrepreneurs, innovators, and inventors, they were promoting the greater public welfare. The continued protection of these fundamental rights is essential to American innovation and competitiveness.”