Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs
Advancing America's
Innovation Ecosystem
Who We Are
We are the inventors, startups, and research institutions who develop revolutionary new technologies and products that drive economic growth and job creation. We are committed to promoting a strong intellectual property system that supports innovation, investment, and breakthrough technologies that change the world.
Our Position
We Believe U.S. Patents Matter
For more than 200 years, the U.S. patent system has empowered U.S.-based inventors, entrepreneurs, startups, and universities to lead the world in innovation and economic prosperity.
The U.S. patent system is the foundation upon which innovations are made that improve our lives, provide economic opportunity and address humanity’s toughest challenges.
There were approximately 350,000 patents granted in the U.S. in 2023. Roughly 60,000 were granted for inventions in the semiconductor space and tens of thousands of patents were also granted in areas such as 5G/wireless, cybersecurity, chemicals and life sciences. We believe that every patent granted to an innovative U.S. entrepreneur, startup, university, research institution or large corporation is a reason to celebrate and a validation of the U.S. innovation ecosystem.
Strong patents also incentivize the investment that is necessary to “add the fuel of interest to the fire of genius,” as Abraham Lincoln said.
The members of USIJ are not just inventors and entrepreneurs, we are investors, incubators and catalysts for young, disruptive companies. In areas such as AI, semiconductors, biotech, medical devices and wireless communications, it can take hundreds of millions of dollars and often a decade of work for a startup to succeed. And along the way, many fail. If we cannot rely on a strong and reliable patent system, this process is impossible.
USIJ was founded with this understanding of the critical and unique role that the U.S. patent system plays and with a true dedication to the innovative capacity of U.S. inventors, entrepreneurs and startups.
We Support Efforts to Strengthen the U.S. Patent System
We support legislative efforts to repair the damage that has been done to the patent system that has enabled, and often encourages, large incumbents to simply ingest the IP of smaller, more disruptive competitors with no regard for their intellectual property.
This process of predatory infringement is built on a system that allows unlimited challenges to the validity of patents by any entity, and for any purpose. It is further fueled by uncertainty regarding what is even eligible to receive a patent in the U.S. and the inability to obtain injunctive relief when a court actually rules that infringement has occurred.
For over a decade, the members of USIJ have provided direct insight on the need to address these systemic weaknesses in our patent system and to restore the traditional respect for intellectual property that our entire economic model is built on.
USIJ has established a clear agenda built on two pillars: 1) ending the harm being done to our patent system, and 2) implementing policies to begin to rebuild it.
Stop Harming the U.S. Patent System
Since its inception, USIJ has been a leading advocate against misguided proposals that endanger IP rights. We have opposed:
Weakening the ability of the International Trade Commission to protect U.S. IP.
Suspending global IP treaty protections.
See USIJ op-ed here.
Limiting the enforceability of standard essential patents.
See USIJ comments here.
Advancing the falsehood that patents cause higher prices.
See USIJ comments here.
Start Healing the U.S. Patent System
USIJ has played a critical role in building support for bipartisan reforms that would strengthen America's innovation ecosystem, including:
Reforming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to respect patent holders and prohibit abuse like serial attacks on disruptive startups.
Clarifying U.S. patent eligibility law.
Reforming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to respect patent holders and prohibit abuse like serial attacks on disruptive startups.
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“Before the adoption of the United States Constitution, any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this; secured to the inventor, for a limited time, the exclusive use of his invention; and thereby added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius, in the discovery and production of new and useful things.”