Innovation Alliance Statement on 2014 State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON – Innovation Alliance Executive Director Brian Pomper released the following statement today in response to President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address:
“The Innovation Alliance was pleased last night to hear the President repeatedly promote the importance of innovation as the United States competes with the rest of the world, and the key role in job creation played by small technology start-ups. These are the kinds of companies that rely most on protection of their intellectual property to attract investors and help them compete against larger rivals at home and abroad. As the President said, ‘the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow.’ We agree with the President that ‘this is an edge America cannot surrender’ and strongly believe that achieving that goal will require maintaining the strong patent system that was envisioned in the Constitution.
“Patents fuel this country’s innovation economy, creating millions of jobs each year and securing our role as the global leader in breakthrough discoveries. As policymakers consider changes to the patent system, they should take the time needed to develop a consensus product that will be a force for progress for the full range of American innovation, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Patent legislation is extremely complex and must be addressed with caution, careful understanding of unintended consequences for inventors and small businesses, and with an eye toward protecting and preserving the system that has served our country so well for so long.”
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Contact: Jaime Horn, (202) 827-7859, Jaime@BlueEngineMedia.com