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 September 2010 |
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CommentaryInnovation Can Help Solve American Challenges
Publication Date:
November 2009
Americans have always tackled pressing challenges with new ideas. In fact, plain oldfashioned know-how is essential for getting our economy back on track and solving problems in health care, energy, and the environment. That's why the U.S. Chamber makes innovation and the protection of intellectual property (IP) a top priority. We have created an organization--the Global Intellectual Property Center--to ensure that innovation remains a hallmark of our free enterprise system and that our most creative minds are properly rewarded for their ideas. Consider IP's and innovation's overall contributions to the economy. IP-dependent industries account for more than $5 trillion of U.S. GDP and represent 40% of economic growth in recent years. Equally important are the 18 million good-paying jobs that IP-intensive industries provide. To put the unemployed back to work and to keep pace with a growing population, America must create 20 million jobs over the next 10 years. Many of these jobs will result from entrepreneurs turning ideas into real products and services. The importance of IP doesn't end with economic recovery--it is also essential for improving health care. Strong IP rights drive the pharmaceutical innovations that generate breakthrough cures, encourage the development of new medical devices, and are essential to protect the integrity of health IT and patient privacy. Americans won't benefit from the medical breakthroughs and the lifesaving drugs they've come to expect if researchers and manufacturers think that their products are going to be ripped off by counterfeiters or foreign governments. The same principle holds true for the twin challenges of energy and climate change. Responding to the growing demand for energy, while also limiting greenhousegas emissions, will require tremendous ingenuity. This presents an opportunity for our scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to develop new industries and good-paying American jobs. But that won't happen unless we vigorously defend IP rights during the negotiation of an international climate change treaty. If we let foreign countries steal our IP, we could forfeit 1 million green jobs by 2020. Of course, the creative industries--such as movies, books, and recordings--also depend on IP protections. We must ensure that artists, authors, and musicians are able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, not have it stolen away as bootleg copies or over the Internet. In a century where national success will be determined by the best ideas, elected officials must recognize innovation and creativity as essential components of a strong and vibrant economy. The Chamber will do everything in its power to make certain that they do. |
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Comments
Over the past years while a member I got very tired of seeing glossy smiling photos of Mr Donahue while we continued to lose on every important issue that means something to small businesses. Finally it seems he has grown a backbone to fight for what we should fight for---small government, free enterprise. I, along with many other owners will be watching to see if it is all about the Chamber telling us all the great things they are doing or if they are serious about combating the harmful changes that are taking place in Washington. Don't tell us how good you are---stand up and fight.
(San Antonio, TX)
Though I am not addressing the issue at hand, I do want to congratulate our CEO for doing a job that needed to be done. He faced off with Obama and told him exactly as it was with small business. I don't know if he won, but he certainly has presented our case to the #1 person who makes decisions in Washington. Thank you for your courage and your plain speaking. You are a real CEO and President to have for our organization of "little people" that no one wants to listen to or help; just step on!!! (Willoughby Hills, Ohio)
We've got to protect American ideas. Too many times I've seen products ripped off overseas and the inventor doesnt make any money. (Springfield, IL)
OK another "Go get them American Industry" speeches.... Sorry Tom we have heard enough of the happy speeches.
Let's face it, anything we build will be built in another Country within a year or two... I have already been through a lawsuit in the early 90's because of a Chinese company stealing our IP...we won the suite got a few bucks and they went and made the smallest of changes to it (10%) and put it right back in our US market. (our only saving grace is we built it better)
So please work on what really matters, like balancing the trade. So when we buy 1 billion dollars of product they have to buy a similar amount. Over the past years we buy 1 billion and they buy 1 million, so we will never come out ahead.
We do not need protectionism, we build better products, what we need is a balance in the trading of the money.
And we need a President that is not hell bent on leveling the playing field, because we work so hard we come out ahead and others who don't, don't!
It is not my problem these other Countries are so corrupt they would rather spend their money on other things instead of teaching their people how to be productive. Why should we pay for that...
You see Tom this is all real simple stuff, but because of the political BS that's going on we suffer because we work so hard.
Currently we sell to EU and UAE nations, because we have a product that is superior to the ones they can get elsewhere. So we compete with the Chinese and others, but we have a better product, so its not about IP, because if the Chinese steal our design (which they have) it doesn't matter because they build crap when it comes to most things, even when they have stolen the design.
What matters is the Chinese and others getting all sorts of financial breaks from us, yet we pay out the butt to them, so the balance is not there.
We need to make US based companies that go overseas pay duties to sell back here in the States. Now you might say that would drive up prices, well maybe a little bit, but it would also spur and financially allow US based companies to compete with these other companies and it would keep more of our money where it belongs.
Now don't get me wrong, I believe a business owner should reap all the rewards of his or her hard work, but companies that go overseas are giving their money to the employees in these other Countries and they are pocketing "huge" amounts for themselves, which is not right and throws a big punch in how un balanced the financial trade is for the USA.
This is basic 101 mathematics, we are getting screwed and we will continue to get screwed unless we change these types of policies, which I do not see happening with these current losers in the White House.
But do your best Tom and maybe if we see some real "Change" we will start sending you guys our dues again. (Saginaw, MI)
From your third paragraph:
Americans won't benefit from the medical breakthroughs and the lifesaving drugs they've come to expect if researchers and manufacturers think that their products are going to be ripped off by counterfeiters or foreign governments.
Do you really believe this statement? Are you from Mars or just mentally ill?
(Tucson, Arizona)
It is interesting that the Chamber does not and many commentators do not believe in "Protectionism", but protecting IP is protectionism. Why do we not all agree that we should protect the national market system and stop the destruction of our fragile wage and price structure contained within it? That would require a knowledge of free market economics that we all profess to believe, but about which we refuse to become knowledgeable. Just keep up the old mantra ..."Protectionism is bad" and we will keeping getting more of what we got We do not even understand what "Protectionism" is nor the economic system contained in our Constitution - a national free market system. Protect the system and most of our problems will be solved. (Cleveland, Ohio)
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