ACT MARKS “WORLD IP DAY” WITH NEW VIDEO TOUTING VALUE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

IP Critical to Innovation, Wealth and Opportunity, Especially for Small Firms

Washington, DC- Marking “World IP Day”, the Association for Competitive Technology today released a new video explaining the key role that Intellectual Property plays in the hi-tech industry, the economy and in improving the lives of consumers.

The video, which can be found at http://www.actonline.org/library/ip_video.html – presents a historical look at Intellectual Property and the central role it plays in our economy and in the development of many important products.  The video features ACT president Jonathan Zuck, intellectual property attorney Dick Wilder and Andre Carter, small business consultant and author of Little Blues.

“In an economy where creativity and innovation are the most important currencies, protecting your intellectual assets is critical,” said Jonathan Zuck, president of the Association for Competitive Technology.  “Intellectual property protections give entrepreneurs the incentive to invest time and money and take risks to bring an idea to market.”

“On this day when policy makers, academics and business leaders across the globe recognize how critical IP is to our economy and our way of life, we want to do our part to advance the cause of IP education,” added Zuck.  “Ultimately, intellectual property is critical to innovation and continued economic growth in the information age.”

Along with the new educational video, ACT has been involved in a sustained campaign to highlight the importance of intellectual property to innovative entrepreneurs and the economy.

  • Profiles in Innovation – ACT is sponsoring a campaign that highlights innovative technology entrepreneurs and the role patents play in their success.  The profiles can be found at http://www.actonline.org/profiles
  • Innovation Policy: Local, National, and International – w Earlier this year, ACT released a white paper entitled, National Policies as Platforms for Innovation: Reconciling a Flat World with Creative Cities, which detailed the role of national policies in promoting innovation.  The white paper was a released at a Capitol Hill event.  http://www.actonline.org/library/International_Innovation_Policy.html
  • Innovators Network – Last year, ACT launched the Innovators Network, a community for high tech entrepreneurs around the world.  Building on the success of our first year of events, ACT will be continuing its regional education events and expanding the Innovators Network online presence into a social network for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and business consultants to share best practices and network
  • Regional Innovation Policy Events – ACT will be participating in a series of educational events designed to highlight the role of small business innovators to economic growth and identify ways policymakers can improve the environment for these entrepreneurs.

CONTACT:  Mark Blafkin at 202.420.7483 or Kristina Grabosky at 703.683.5004.

The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) is an international education and advocacy group for the technology industry. Focusing on the interests of small and mid-size entrepreneurial technology companies, ACT advocates for a “Healthy Tech Environment” that promotes innovation, competition and investment. ACT has been active on issues such as intellectual property, international trade, e-commerce, privacy, internet policy and antitrust. ACT represents more than 3000 software developers, systems integrators, IT consulting and training firms, and e-businesses from around the world.

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