Competere is happy to join the Property Rights Alliance in the celebration of the World IP Day with the launch of an open letter addressed to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Director General Dr. Francis Gurry.

We stand with content creators and rights holders around the world to fight for stronger, more effective intellectual property rights. This year PRA is delighted to support “WIPO’s theme “Innovate for a Green Future.” Stronger intellectual property rights help, especially during this COVID 19 pandemic, to incentivize research, boost innovation, and expand frontiers of health.

As noted by the letter:

As humanity confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, we turn to IP-driven innovations for the most effective solutions. Today, the best scientists at companies and research institutions around the world are racing to develop potential new vaccines and treatments for COVID-19.

The letter will be presented during the 2020 World IP Day webinar “The Global Voices Supporting Intellectual Property Rights” April 27th at 9:30 AM EST.

The protection of intellectual property rights is imperative to innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. When these rights are not secure, products and their unique identifiers are subject to infringement. This reduces economic incentives to innovate or enter new markets.

Stronger intellectual property protections allow content creators to have control over their products, content, and designs, and to defend their work from those who infringe on their unique contributions. Studies have continuously shown that countries with stronger IP regimes enjoy a higher per capita GDP and greater overall levels of development.

IP-intensive industries are a driver of the global economy, and their rights must not be taken for granted. IP-intensive firms account for 38% of GDP and 45.5 million jobs in the United States, as well as 42% of GDP and 82 million jobs in the European Union. However, the letter signed by organization spanning the globe states the IP protections in these leading innovators are 31 percent greater than the rest of the world, according to the International Property Rights Index. It adds, “If all countries and all people are going to have the same opportunity to contribute to the next era of innovation this IP rights gap must be closed”.

On the release, Lorenzo Montanari, executive director of Property Rights Alliance stated “We stand with intellectual property rights because we support innovation, creativity and a free-market economy. Today more than ever international organizations and governments across the world need to promote policies that recognize IP rights as a key contributor to innovation and defeating COVID 19. Strong IP keeps us safe”.

Pietro Paganini, president of Competere, said “At this historic moment, the Italian government must strengthen the protection of property rights. In order to have a economic recovery after the crisis, it is essential to protect Italian brands and companies from external attacks, especially from China. The letter to WIPO will also be extended to the Prime Minister and the Ministers of Economy, Economic Development and Health. Politics has to devote more attention to intellectual property and innovation issues”.

READ THE LETTER TO WIPO’S DIRECTOR GENERAL