Published
March 30, 2026
Last week, the U.S. Chamber released the latest installment of its annual International IP Index at a virtual event discussing global trends in IP protection and enforcement. Now in its 14th edition, the 2026 report underscores an unmistakable trend: global IP leadership is shifting, and the implications for innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth are significant.
USPTO’s Perspective: A Warning Signal
In his keynote address at our virtual event, USPTO Director John Squires laid out how innovation flourishes where rules are clear, protections are strong, and systems are built for long‑term investment. Director Squires highlighted how the IP Index serves as a critical tool that helps policymakers understand where those conditions exist and where they are beginning to erode.
Squires drew attention to an “unmistakable and concerning trend” captured in this year’s report: some of the world’s most advanced economies are experiencing a gradual weakening of their IP frameworks. Left unchecked, he warned, this decline risks normalizing lower global standards at precisely the moment when stronger protection is essential to accelerating technological competition. The 2026 Index makes clear that policymakers must confront these warning signs as they shape the next chapter of global IP policy.
Director Squires also underscored where the U.S. government is engaged to reverse this troubling trend, including by:
- Reinforcing strong copyright protections: The U.S. is working worldwide to tighten overbroad copyright exceptions and press for robust civil, criminal, and border enforcement, including against satellite and cable signal piracy.
- Strengthening IP enforcement authority: The U.S. has advocated for ex parte authority to allow customs authorities to suspend suspected counterfeit shipments without requiring a prior rightsholder complaint—an approach that increases the speed and effectiveness of interventions at ports of entry.
- Ensuring international engagement advances IP protection worldwide: Director Squires expressed concern about proposals at World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that run counter to the organization’s foundational mission of strengthening IP protection worldwide. The U.S. government intends to be clear and vocal in reminding WIPO of its core mandate and the need to advance proposals that drive innovation, investment, and technological leadership.
Industry Perspective: Progress Continues, But Challenges Remain
The event also featured a panel discussion with key industry leaders from AbbVie, Amazon, and the Entertainment Software Association who discussed how the Index provides a clear, data‑driven map of global trends in IP protection and the real‑world consequences for innovators, creators, and investors. Key points include:
- EU reforms put its IP leadership at risk: The EU’s General Pharmaceutical Legislation was the key driver behind score decreases in eight EU economies this year. Jon Santamauro, Senior Director for Global Innovation and Trade Policy at AbbVie, noted that Europe’s expanded Bolar exemption and reduced data protection will distort competition and lead to legal uncertainty around patent enforcement in Europe. These changes—which are out-of-step with the world’s leading economies—will weaken life sciences incentives in Europe and risks undermining European competition with the result of driving American and other life sciences investment elsewhere.
- Copyright enforcement momentum is real—and it matters: The Index shows meaningful global progress against digital piracy worldwide, with Brazil, Greece, Nigeria, Peru, and Poland all stepping up enforcement. Pete Mehravari, Chief Counsel IP Protection and Security at ESA, highlighted how Brazil’s Operation 404 has evolved into a full-fledged multinational crackdown, as Argentina, Peru, and Colombia join forces to take down illegal streaming and piracy networks.
- Public–private alliances are raising the bar: E‑commerce retailers are teaming up with governments to take on counterfeiting at scale. Joe Wheatley, Senior Corporate Counsel in Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, described how data‑sharing with law enforcement helps pinpoint bad actors and drive cases all the way through conviction. These partnerships don’t just keep counterfeits off Amazon—they cut them out of the global supply chain entirely, delivering direct protection for consumers.
- Trade agreements only work if countries deliver: Trade deals have raised global standards for IP protection, but only when partners actually implement them—and too many are falling short. Mr. Santamauro noted that fulfilling trade commitments doesn’t just benefit American business but has concrete benefits for domestic innovators and creators, too. This includes greater legal certainty, increased foreign investment, and strong ecosystems for innovation. Those gains are all on the table—but only if countries deliver on what they promised.
- Governments still hold the keys to enforcement: Governments have the ability to lead on IP enforcement in areas that industry cannot. ESA highlighted how strong government action—especially criminal cases with meaningful, deterrent penalties—can shut down large‑scale piracy and counterfeiting. When law enforcement makes it clear that piracy won’t be tolerated, creators gain confidence that their work is protected, strengthening the entire domestic creative economy.
- Collaboration creates stronger borders: Stopping counterfeit goods starts with data-sharing—and no one company can do it alone. Amazon underscored how partnering with customs authorities helps flag counterfeit products, intercept shipments, and hold bad actors accountable. But the scale of the problem demands broad, cross‑industry cooperation with enforcement agencies to truly safeguard consumers worldwide.
The 2026 International IP Index underscores that stronger IP systems are a competitive necessity. As global standards shift and some advanced economies begin to slip, the economies that double down on clarity, enforcement, and collaboration will be the ones that attract investment, inspire innovation and creativity, and lead the next generation of technological breakthroughs. The message from both government and industry is aligned: the world’s innovation economy is only as strong as the rules that protect it. Nations that uphold and advance those rules will shape the future; those that don’t risk being left behind.
Download the 2026 International IP Index:
About the author
Kelly Anderson
Kelly Anderson serves as vice president of international policy at the U.S. Chamber’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC). Anderson oversees the GIPC’s global advocacy efforts and leads the GIPC’s policy engagement in the multilateral organizations and developed economies.
