Tillis to chair new US Senate IP Subcommittee
Republican Thom Tillis and Democrat Chris Coons have been selected to lead the newly-formed US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on IP.
Tillis will serve as chairman while Coons will be ranking member of the committee, according to a release published on Thursday, February 7.
The US Patent and Trademark Office, the US Copyright Office, and oversight of the functions of the federal government as they relate to IP all fall within the jurisdiction of the subcommittee.
Prior to entering politics, North Carolina representative Tillis worked for 22 years in technology and management consulting at companies including PwC and IBM.
Tilis said: “In recent years our country has been faced with a number of challenges in our IP system, from rampant theft from state actors like China, to confusion among innovators and inventors about what is even patentable. These issues are causing our nation’s economy to lose billions of dollars annually and threaten our country’s long-term technological dominance.”
He thanked Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein, chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively, for allowing Coons and himself to focus on these issues at the subcommittee level for the “first time in years”.
Coons, who serves as a representative for Delaware, has previously served as in-house counsel for W.L. Gore & Associates, a manufacturer of Gore-Tex fabrics and other high-tech materials.
He added that the US is the most innovative country globally and that to stay on top, inventors must be supported by strong IP laws.
“The US needs to better protect innovation—the lifeblood of our economy—and this subcommittee will provide an important forum for addressing these critical policy issues,” concluded Coons.
Other members on the subcommittee include Lindsey Graham, Patrick Leahy, Chuck Grassley, Richard Blumenthal, John Cornyn, Kamala Harris, Mike Lee, Sheldon Whitehouse, Ben Sasse, Mazie Hirono, and Marsha Blackburn.
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