ACT’s Morgan Reed Joins White House IP Czar and Industry Leaders on ITIF Event on IP Protection

(Washington)—Association of Competitive Technology Executive Director Morgan Reed today appeared with tech industry leaders and Victoria Espinel, the White House IP Czar, at the ITIF event, The Next Generation of IP Protection: Enhancing Global Economic Growth and Prosperity.

Reed used the forum to explain how the impact of piracy felt by small business is often greater than that experienced by larger corporations.

“The Administration’s plan, formulated by Victoria Espinel, provides a good starting point to address the issue of piracy,” said Reed. “Coming from the technology industry we are pleased to see the focus on the Internet and the need to cut red tape and increase efficiency within the Customs Department and other agencies.

“Much of the discussion on this issue is rooted in ‘big numbers by big companies’ but in fact piracy often has as a disproportionate impact on small software companies, especially those building specialty apps. Our members at ACT report experiencing piracy firsthand. We have cases in which small companies are required to retain a full-time employee solely to combat piracy, managing stolen license codes and helping those with legitimate codes get their stolen codes corrected. This can take up to one-sixth of a small business’s revenue.

“We are concerned about piracy because support for intellectual property will drive innovation, create new high paying jobs, and bolster productivity.”