George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School

U.S. Innovation Economy Falls Even Further in Latest GIPC Patent Rankings

hand under a lightbulb drawn on a chalkboardThe Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has just released the sixth edition of its International IP Index. Unfortunately, the report finds that the United States is now tied for 12th place in its patent rankings. This is down from 10th place last year, and it’s down from 1st place just two years ago. The recent downward trend of the U.S. innovation economy is rather alarming, and it is further evidence that the U.S. is quickly abandoning its gold standard patent system.

GIPC notes that the U.S. patent system has faltered due to two key indicators: patentability requirements and patent opposition. As to the former, the report cites the Supreme Court’s recent Section 101 jurisprudence, which has created much uncertainty for innovators about what even constitutes a patent-eligible invention. These findings comport with the newly-published paper by CPIP’s Adam Mossoff & Kevin Madigan highlighting the Court’s troublesome approach to patent eligibility and its profound effect on our innovation economy. As to patent opposition, GIPC cites the ease of challenging patents that have already been issued through mechanisms such as inter partes review (IPR). Indeed, several CPIP scholars authored a recent white paper detailing how these IPR proceedings have become an existential threat to the very patent system they were meant to promote.

U.S. falls to 12th place in ranking of patent system strength. 2018 Chamber index marks further from for U.S. Category 1: Patents, Related Rights, and Limitations. 1. Singapore; 2. France; 3. Germany; 4. Ireland; 5. Japan; 6. Netherlands; 7. South Korea; 8. Spain; 9. Sweden; 10. Switzerland; 11. UK; 12. United States / Italy. ("Create," Global Innovation Policy Center, U.S. Chamber International IP Index, Sixth Edition, February 2018))

To read GIPC’s International IP Index, please click here.