Issa Holds Hearing Defending U.S. Intellectual Property

Washington – On Tuesday, Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, chaired a hearing to examine concerns related to the Biden Administration's waiver of U.S. intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19 vaccine technologies and the contemplation of future more expansive waivers of U.S. IP rights.

Key takeaways from the hearing include:

• IP protections are vital to incentivize the innovation that makes the United States the world leader developing advanced vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and other biotechnology and many other technologies.
• The President's decision to waive US IP rights did not offer any benefit to fighting COVID and marks a dangerous precedent for future consideration to waive IP rights in a variety of fields.
• The Chinese Communist Party has targeted U.S. biotechnology preeminence and is seeking to acquire advanced foreign biotechnology to enable the Chinese biotechnology industry to catch up to its American competitors.

This hearing was in conjunction with Congressman Issa's introduction of H.R.3858, the No Free TRIPS Act, legislation that would prohibit the President from negotiating or concluding any withdrawal, suspension, waiver, or modification to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights without explicit authorization from Congress.

Watch the subcommittee hearing here.