The United States is at a critical juncture in its competition with global rivals, particularly China, for leadership in critical and emerging technologies. This week, a coalition of conservative leaders sent a powerful message to Congress, urging action to safeguard America’s position as a global technology leader. The key to maintaining that leadership lies in reinforcing the foundational principles that have made the U.S. the world’s innovation powerhouse: the rule of law, secure private property rights, and a market-based economic system.
The Growing Threat from China and Europe
China has made no secret of its ambitions to surpass the United States in key technologies like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and advanced communications. Through industrial espionage, intellectual property (IP) theft, and state-backed “national champion” firms like Huawei, China is aggressively challenging U.S. technological leadership. Meanwhile, European policymakers are pursuing misguided regulatory frameworks that mirror China’s government-driven, rate-setting policies, threatening to undermine Western innovation.
These policies, especially China’s court system and the European Union’s 2023 plan to impose centralized government control over patent valuation, are part of a growing global trend. Both regimes weaken innovators’ ability to monetize their inventions, harming the very R&D investment that drives technological advancements.
The Urgent Need to Strengthen U.S. Patent Protections
America’s strength has always been rooted in its strong, reliable patent system. For centuries, U.S. innovators have relied on enforceable IP rights to bring groundbreaking ideas to market. But the U.S. patent system is under threat, both from foreign competitors who seek to undermine it and from misguided domestic calls to weaken it further.
We must resist these efforts. Weakening our patent system would not stop China’s rise—it would only cripple America’s leading innovators. A strong U.S. patent system ensures that innovators can protect and profit from their inventions, incentivizing further investment in critical technologies. This is not just an economic issue; it is a matter of national security. Our ability to lead in areas such as 5G and 6G wireless connectivity, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and biomedical breakthroughs hinges on maintaining robust IP protections.
A Bipartisan Call to Action
It is time for Congress and the administration to act with urgency. Policymakers must restore and strengthen the mainstays of U.S. innovation leadership by:
- Restoring the U.S. Patent System: Ensuring that U.S. innovators have reliable, predictable patent rights and remedies, including injunctions, to protect their IP.
- Countering Foreign Attacks on IP: Addressing the global assault on U.S. patents by foreign governments, particularly China and the EU, who are undermining the value of innovation through rate-setting schemes.
- Aligning U.S. Agency Policies: Bringing federal agencies in line with policies that support, rather than weaken, the patent system. Agencies like the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) must stop facilitating the invalidation of legitimate U.S. patents.
If we fail to take decisive action, we risk ceding our global leadership in critical sectors, jeopardizing our economic future, and compromising our national security.
The path forward is clear. Congress must commit to safeguarding the U.S. patent system and restoring the key principles that have driven American innovation for centuries. By doing so, we can ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in the development of next-generation technologies, outpacing rivals like China, and securing a prosperous future for all Americans.
Our future, and our security, depend on it.
Download the full letter here or view it below.
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