The U.S. Chamber of Commerce held the fifth Intellectual Property Center Summit on October 8. The theme was “It Starts with an Idea: Fostering Innovation in the 21st Century.”

The event was held in Washington, D.C. and focused on two main topics: innovation and intellectual property.  These aspects are “the basis for economic growth and progress in any country,” said U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue.

Donohue pointed out that innovation always begins with an idea, and this is why ideas should be respected, honored and protected.  Inventors and innovation are largely responsible for creating products and services that improve our quality of life.

Health, communication and the environment are just some of the areas benefited by protecting innovation and intellectual property.  Companies working in these sectors are investing in the innovation of products and services that can better satisfy consumer needs. 

During the conference, participants listened to representatives from top companies like General Electric, Schering-Plough, Pfizer and Microsoft, among others.  They all agreed that the challenge faced by the private sector, NGOs, academia community and government alike was to promote a culture that encourages the protection and innovation of intellectual property.

They said this meant not only more jobs and growth, but also cures for certain diseases, new energy sources and services that we have not even imagined yet.  According to the experts, the ability to develop such innovations would determine the growth and competitiveness of any country.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has promoted alliances between organizations all over the world to ensure better results in the field of intellectual property. American Chamber/Mexico is part of this initiative, and during the summit, General Electric México President and AmCham Intellectual Property Rights Committee Chairman Rafael Díaz-Granados gave a press conference in which he spoke about the efforts of this work group and the benefits they have provided to improve Mexico’s intellectual property system.  He also announced that the findings of the “2nd Survey on Uses and Habits Associated with Pirated Goods” conducted among men and women aged 16-55 from all socioeconomic strata, would be announced this November.

The press conference was attended by members of the Mexican Embassy in the United States and representatives of the Intellectual Property Project in Brazil, who recognized the merits of these measurements in helping combat the problem.