Cisse: An opportunity to mark significance of IP rights
Mohamed Cisse is the founder and CEO of Tungsten Global Consulting, a Delaware-based business that spearheads initiatives with a focus on scientific research and agricultural and environmental advancements. He also serves on the board of World Trade Center Delaware.
The World Intellectual Property Organization has declared Friday as World Intellectual Property Day, an occasion for all of us to take a moment to recognize the important role that IP rights (patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, etc.) play in encouraging innovation and creativity.
Such rights provide creators and inventors the confidence to invest in their ideas. Knowing they can control and profit from their work allows them to take risks, experiment and bring new inventions and creative expressions to life. This fuels the constant churn of innovation that leads to better products, services and artistic experiences for everyone. Let’s celebrate the crucial role of these protections in driving innovation, especially in health care, medicine and other technologies.
Beyond encouraging invention, intellectual property rights also foster healthy competition. They ensure that companies compete on the merits of their ideas, rather than simply copying each other’s work. This drives a constant cycle of improvement, pushing companies to develop even better products and services for consumers.
I want to take this opportunity to also recognize one of the most important protectors of these rights — Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
I recently attended a business breakfast that featured Sen. Coons discussing the latest activities in Washington. A member of the audience asked the senator to speak for a moment about patent protection in the chemistry field. For the next 10 minutes, Sen. Coons spoke with authority — and a dash of humor — about the vital role of intellectual property protection.
He talked about the importance of both good legislation and the appointment of judges who are familiar with the finer details of intellectual property. We are fortunate to have his voice serving the public to help guide both quality legislation and a review of potential judges for their understanding of these issues.
In a piece published in March in The Hill, David Kappos and Andrei Iancu (both served in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) recognized Sen. Coons as one of the few “champions” for intellectual property rights in Congress.
Sen. Coons said something at that breakfast that will always stay with me: “To me, patents are property rights.” I hope others in Congress and our courts would recognize that wisdom and treat intellectual property with the same strength as physical property.
On the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day, I extend my gratitude and appreciation to the individuals who have contributed to the advancements in biosciences, medicine, manufacturing and creative technologies from other disciplines. Thanks to Sen. Coons for his diligent efforts in safeguarding the intellectual property rights of all innovators.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
