On Constitution Day, Let's Remember IP!

Freedom of speech? Due process? Maybe freedom of the press or protections against search and seizure? When you run down the list of constitutional rights that have made America, these and a few others come to mind. For most Americans, they are the best examples of our freedoms at work in everyday life. But when you think about the historical and economic building blocks of our country –from the Industrial Revolution to the boom of Silicon Valley – America’s protections for Intellectual Property under the constitution are equally as important.

Saturday, September 17th is Constitution Day, and it’s a great time to recognize some of the lesser-known rights protected under the document that founded our nation. Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the constitution grants power to Congress "To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." It seems like the Founding Fathers had a pretty tight grasp on the fact that revolutionary ideas must be protected under the law in order to come to fruition.

Their assumptions paid off. America has led the world through our game-changing innovations for the previous 300 years. The right to own and profit off of your individual idea has driven Americans to invent, write, produce and create our way to the top. In honor of constitution day, let’s honor America’s history of innovation and excellence by continuing to push for IP protections for American companies, both at home and abroad.