By The Founding Board Members of the California Intellectual Property Alliance
World IP Day
World Intellectual Property Day is observed annually on April 26th, commemorating the date that the Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was finalized in 1970. Since founding the event in 2000, WIPO annually celebrates and seeks to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks, and designs impact daily life” and “to celebrate creativity and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of economies and societies across the globe.”
Importance of IP in Economy/California
Intellectual property (IP) is critical to economies worldwide, as highlighted in a recent United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) study. According to the USPTO report, “[i]ndustries in the United States that intensively use IP accounted for 41% of domestic economic activity, or output, in 2019.” More importantly, the study found that “the IP-intensive industries accounted for 63 million jobs, or 44% of all U.S. employment in 2019.”
This report also found that, relative to workers in non-IP-intensive industries, workers in IP-intensive industries are more likely to
- earn higher wages, with the highest earnings in copyright-intensive industries, followed by earnings in utility patent-intensive industries, design patent-intensive industries, and trademark-intensive industries;
- work in larger companies (500 employees or more);
- participate in employer-sponsored health insurance;
- participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans;
- have a bachelor’s or graduate degree; and
- be veterans.
With California annually accounting for almost 30% of all U.S. patent filings, and an economy on pace to become the fourth largest in the world, IP is critically important to all Californians. The breadth of the IP ecosystem in California is as varied as the state’s industries, including high tech, entertainment, recreation, bio-pharma, agriculture, finance, and fashion. IP is continually being created by entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, designers, artists, entertainers, writers, and teachers. IP protection is pursued by commercial, legal, and academic interests throughout the state.
IP can lead to more and better jobs, helping lift all of California; however, not all of California’s 39 million residents have access to education or opportunities to prepare them for employment in IP-intensive industries. This is where the California Intellectual Property Alliance (CAIPA) comes into play.
California Intellectual Property Alliance
The CAIPA is a nonprofit organization established to serve and represent Californians. Innovation and the subsequent IP that is created fuel California’s robust economic growth and improve social well-being.
The CAIPA will heighten public understanding of how IP is created, protected, and how it benefits Californians. Forging programs with the help of members and sponsors, the CAIPA aims to increase awareness and education, promote greater ecosystem collaboration, and boost diversity within the field of IP.
CAIPA is proud to be a regional chapter of the United States Intellectual Property Alliance (USIPA), a nonprofit organization with national scope, founded by thought leaders within the IP community.
For more information on the CAIPA please visit https://www.caipalliance.org or contact Erik Johnson at [email protected].
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The Michelson Institute for Intellectual Property, an initiative of the Michelson 20MM Foundation, provides access to empowering IP education for budding inventors and entrepreneurs. Michelson 20MM was founded thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon Dr. Gary K. Michelson and Alya Michelson. To learn more, visit 20mm.org.