United States moves up in international rankings for patent protection

Steep climb attributed to patent policy and PTAB reforms
Press Release
19-05

CONTACT: (Media Only)
Paul Fucito
(571) 272-8400 or paul.fucito@uspto.gov

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) ranked the United States in second place for Patents, Related Rights, and Limitations in its 2019 International IP Index, reflecting a significant improvement in patent protection policy. In addition, this year the U.S. once again ranked as the overall global leader and standard setter for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights in general.

“The Trump Administration knows that strong and reliable intellectual property protections are necessary for American business to succeed,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “The Department of Commerce and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are proud to have restored American leadership in the protection of intellectual property, which will ensure continued American innovation and invention long into the future.”

“As the global intellectual property space becomes increasingly competitive, we must continue to fuel American innovation through a reliable, predictable, and high-quality patent system,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Andrei Iancu. “I am proud of the USPTO’s work to secure the rights of inventors and brand owners to fulfill our constitutional mandate.”

The interactive GIPC report, which ranks the IP climate in 50 world economies, attributes the improved performance to the USPTO’s leadership in reforming patent opposition policy. Changes in the claim construction standard, new standard operating procedures, and other Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) reforms in the last year all contributed to the higher 2019 ranking. The GIPC noted further that the USPTO’s actions over the past year amount to “meaningful reforms that go a considerable way to address concerns about unpredictability and uncertainty in the U.S. patent opposition system.”

You can find the full print GIPC International IP Index at www.theglobalipcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/023593_GIPC_IP_Ind…

Stay current with the USPTO by subscribing to receive email updates at our Subscription Center at www.uspto.gov/subscribe.