America is a country of innovators. Our creativity and drive are indelible parts of our history and play an important role in our economic growth: according to the Department of Commerce, technological innovation accounts for roughly three-quarters of the United States’ average annual economic growth since the mid-1940s. U.S. intellectual property is estimated to be worth approximately $5.5 trillion — greater than the entire GDP of almost any other nation.
Our founders understood the importance of encouraging and rewarding innovation. The patent system was established in Article I of the Constitution “to promote the Progress of Science and Useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” In his first State of the Union address, George Washington urged Congress to “giv[e] effectual encouragement … to the exertions of skill and genius” in the United States.
If you’d like to discuss intellectual property issues, contact Robert Iussa, chair Rose Law Group Intellectual Property Dept., riussa@roselawgroup.com