April 25, 2017 – In advance of World IP Day, the Full Committee of the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing yesterday, entitled “Intellectual Property – Drive of Innovation: Making Our Lives Healthier, Safer, and more Productive.” Testimony on issues impacting various IP stakeholders was provided by five witnesses, including representatives from large corporations, start-up companies, and the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency. Among the witnesses was Conor Madigan, Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, and President of Kateeva, Inc., a company that Jones Robb is proud to assist with its patent portfolio. The witnesses articulated the significant roles intellectual property plays in their particular businesses, as well as the impact intellectual property protection has on the U.S. economy and general public welfare. Common to all witness testimony was the importance of the U.S. creating policy to maintain and strengthen its robust intellectual property protection. Questions by the Committee members concerned, among others, how to deal with patent trolls, how to determine and stop counterfeit products from entering the U.S. in today’s global and internet-driven economy, and how to deal with theft of U.S. intellectual property occurring in China. A video of the hearing, as well as downloadable witness testimony and statements, can be found at Intellectual Property – Driver of Innovation: Making Our Lives Healthier, Safer, and more Productive.