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Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) protections encourage the research and development (R&D) that drives innovation. Software accounts for 19.6 percent of all domestic business R&D in the United States. Proper IP protection frameworks are critical to maintaining this investment. BSA supports:

patent protection for all inventions on a technology-neutral basis,
copyright laws that protect the rights of authors, intermediaries, and users of works in the digital age,
protections for trade secrets, and
meaningful patent litigation reform that reduces opportunistic litigation and allows those who invent and innovate to thrive.

Additional Resources:

FEATURED POLICY RESEARCH / POSITION PAPERS

US: Making Sense of Section 230

FEB 12, 2021 | GLOBAL

This issue brief provides a high-level overview of what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act does, why it is important to a much broader spectrum of stakeholders than those that have galvanized the current debate, and key considerations for evaluating potential reforms.

BSA Testimony: Assessing the Effectiveness of the Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents

US: Testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet on “Assessing the Effectiveness of the Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents”

MAR 19, 2018 | GLOBAL

US: Patent and Trademark Office – Comments on Draft 2018-2022 Strategic Plan

SEP 19, 2018 | GLOBAL

2021 Tech Titans

MAY 03, 2021 | US

Washingtonian, May 3, 2021. Washingtonian included BSA President and CEO Victoria Espinel on their 2021 Tech Titans list, a group of 170 power players, innovators, networkers, lobbyists, and government officials who proved resilient in these uncertain times. Read more

Cybersecurity IP

BSA Calls on USTR to Combat Innovation-Related Data Barriers in Special 301 Process

APR 30, 2021 | US

BSA | The Software Alliance welcomes today’s release of the 2021 Special 301 report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). The Special 301 process is an important opportunity for USTR to address data-related innovation barriers such as data localization mandates and unnecessary data transfer restrictions. Read more

IP Trade Cross-Border Data

BSA Statement on PACT Act

MAR 17, 2021 | US

“We appreciate Senators Schatz and Thune working together in a bipartisan way to develop the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency Act,” said Craig Albright, Vice President of Legislative Strategy at BSA | The Software Alliance. Read more

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