Trump's Business Chops May Influence Intellectual Property Policy, AEI Says

President-elect Donald Trump will likely take “a businessman’s approach" to intellectual-property issues, said American Enterprise Institute Visiting Fellow Thomas Sydnor. That means “one that focuses on practical issues, like cost-effective enforceability,” Sydnor wrote in a Wednesday blog post. What Trump will do on intellectual property may be easier to predict than other policy areas, Sydnor said. “President-elect Trump will soon become -- by far -- the most experienced user of domestic and international IP rights ever to serve as the President of the United States,” he said. “During his long business career, Mr. Trump pursued sophisticated, usually unified, branding strategies based upon his last name, had great success in the copyright industries, and has used the IP-like rights granted by state laws that protect reputational, privacy, and publicity rights.” Trump should focus on making it easier for businesses to enforce their IP rights, said Sydnor. He should support legislative efforts to overhaul the Copyright Office, like the one by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., the AEI fellow said. Trump should oppose sub-market compulsory licenses including American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers/Broadcast Music Inc. consent decrees from the 1940s, Sydnor said. Trump opposed free trade agreements, but he should consider renegotiating the Trans Pacific Partnership, Sydnor said. Or the U.S. Trade Representative could better enforce existing trade agreements, he said.