US Barely Retains Top Ranking in GIPC 2018 IP Index, Amid Patent Issues

The U.S. retained the top ranking in the 2018 edition of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center's annual global IP index (see 1702080038). It beat the U.K. by .01 points amid improving what the Chamber views as conditions on copyright and trademarks issues and a worsening situation on patents. The climate in the U.S. for patents is creating “considerable uncertainty for innovators,” the Chamber said. The U.S. dropped to a tie with Italy for No. 12 on patents, down from No. 10. “The majority of countries took steps to strengthen their IP systems and foster an environment that encourages and incentivizes creators to bring their ideas to market,” said GIPC President David Hirschmann. “While a clear pack of leaders in IP protection top the rankings, the leadership gap has narrowed in a new global race to the top.” The U.S. ranking “is the latest evidence that harmful congressional actions and court decisions have dangerously weakened the U.S. patent system, the central foundation of our innovation economy,” said Innovation Alliance Executive Director Brian Pomper. “The U.S. has dropped in its ranking primarily due the excessive cost and uncertainty for U.S. innovators created by the America Invents Act’s inter partes review process, as well as recent Supreme Court decisions that have created confusion over what can and cannot be patented.”