Industries that intensively use IP account for over 41% of U.S. GDP
By Ferraiuoli LLC
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released the latest edition of its report highlighting the economic contributions of industries that make greater use of intellectual property (IP) protection, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights, titled "Intellectual property and the U.S. economy: Third edition.”"Intellectual property protection is vital for American innovation and entrepreneurship,” said United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This report underscores the key benefits associated with a strong intellectual property system and reinforces the Biden administration’s commitment to expanding our innovation economy by ensuring that more Americans have equitable access to the goods, services, and quality jobs that stem from American innovation. Employees working in IP-intensive industries are more likely to earn higher wages compared to non-IP-intensive industries. IP protection isn’t just good for American businesses, it’s good for American workers.”
The latest report found that in 2019, 127 IP-intensive industries in sectors such as manufacturing; wholesale and retail trade; and professional, technical, management, and administrative services accounted for $7.8 trillion in U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), or 41% of total GDP. Direct employment in these industries accounted for 47.2 million jobs in 2019, or 33% of total U.S. employment. Indirect employment—jobs created in other industries that depend at least partially on final sales in IP-intensive industries—accounted for an additional 11% of U.S. employment. In total, IP-intensive industries contributed 44% of U.S. employment.
Relative to workers in non-IP-intensive industries, workers in IP-intensive industries were more likely to:
-Earn higher wages.
-Work in larger companies (500 employees or more).
-Participate in employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
-Participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
-Have a bachelor’s degree or graduate degree.
