Intellectual Property Rights in the United States

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) with the European Union

The United States and the EU have the world’s most successful creative industries, and intellectual property protection and enforcement are essential for encouraging innovation in new technologies, stimulating investment in research and development, and supporting exports of U.S. products and the creation of American jobs. Nearly 40 million American jobs are directly or indirectly attributable to “IP intensive” industries. These jobs pay higher wages to their workers, and these industries drive approximately 60 percent of U.S. merchandise exports and a large share of services exports. We will seek in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement to build on shared strengths and principles reflective of our strong and balanced systems, while promoting good policies in third countries as well.

For more information on intellectual property rights, visit https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/intellectual-property.

Intellectual Property Rights in the International Business Landscape

Definition of Intellectual Property Rights in the context of U.S. international business and public trade policy: Intangible property rights that include patents, copyrights, trademarks, brand names, and trade secrets.