The world owes a lot to copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets. We are reminded of this each April.
World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated on April 26. This occasion provides every nation and all people with the opportunity to reflect on intellectual property’s many benefits.
One way to support inventors and creators is to ask your lawmakers in Washington to join the Congressional Inventions Caucus. This bipartisan, bicameral caucus educates members of Congress on the importance of strong intellectual property protections for innovators.
Reliable, enforceable IP protections enable technological advancement, foster collaboration, stimulate economic growth, create new jobs, and enrich people’s lives.
Beginning in ancient times, artists and artisans placed unique marks on the things they made. These were the first trademarks, identifying the maker of certain commercial goods.
Trade secrets, where tradespeople are sworn to secrecy about their professional techniques, have also been around for centuries. In the 15th century, patents came about as a way to protect an inventor’s property rights in his invention.
In the early 18th century, England’s Statute of Anne provided the first IP protection to written works. Over time, copyright was extended to secure rights in other creative works, such as movies, music recordings, and computer code.
Several American colonies, followed by independent states, enacted their own patent and copyright laws. After winning independence, the U.S. Constitution empowered Congress to write national patent and copyright laws. President Washington urged Congress to do so, and the Patent Act and Copyright Act became law in 1790.
These statutes laid the foundation for the United States to become the global leader in protecting intellectual property and to reap the practical benefits from the creative and inventive boon that quickly followed.
The 2026 annual report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Center, known as the International IP Index, ranks the United States IP system first globally. The World Intellectual Property Organization's Global Innovation Index ranks the United States third in the world. The Global Innovation Index weighs factors beyond the strength of an IP system, such as infrastructure and business sophistication.
The U.S. IP system fosters job creation nationwide. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office says IP-intensive industries directly employ 47 million Americans, and indirectly support 15.5 million more jobs. In total, IP-centered businesses account for 62.5 million jobs—44% of all U.S. employment. Those jobs typically pay higher wages and provide employer-sponsored health insurance and retirement benefits.
Strong IP protections contribute to U.S. leadership in global trade, bolstering U.S. competitiveness. IP-centered industries play a significant role in U.S. exports, particularly in services. The United States collects more in payments for the use of IP than any other country.
Sustaining U.S. leadership in IP rights is central to maintaining these advantages. While many countries are working to strengthen their IP systems, others have seen declines in recent years. This includes several advanced economies. The United States' own ranking also declined slightly from 2025 to 2026. That fact should underscore the need to secure the reliability of U.S. IP rights.
American businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators benefit at home and abroad from a policy environment that respects intellectual property and supports their ability to grow and compete.
World IP Day is an opportunity to reinforce these benefits by recognizing IP’s role in advancing science, technology and creativity, and in supporting economic opportunity in communities across the country and around the world.
