Congress Should Heed These Intellectual Property Guidelines

I want to share an open letter, titled "Intellectual Property Guidelines for Congress," that was just submitted to all the members of the new 114th Congress. The letter was signed by a very broad coalition of respected individuals and organizations that support the protection of intellectual property rights.

I commend the letter to you. While the Free State Foundation does not generally sign coalition letters as a matter of policy, we certainly support the guidelines articulated in the open letter and urge members of Congress to give them careful consideration.

There is a definite need for continuing education concerning the important role that IP rights play in our nation's society -- and especially their contribution to the well-being of our economy.

But, above all, there is need for continuing education concerning the constitutional foundation of intellectual property rights. That's why the very first guideline in the open letter is: "Intellectual Property Rights Are Grounded in the Constitution.

If you are interested in learning more about foundational principles of intellectual property within the context of American constitutionalism, you might enjoy delving into FSF's series of papers exploring these principles.

 

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "The Constitutional Foundations of Intellectual Property," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 8, No. 13 (2013).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "Reasserting the Property Rights Source of IP," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 8, No. 17 (2013).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "Literary Property: Copyright's Constitutional History and Its Meaning for Today," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 8, No. 19 (2013).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "The Constitution’s Approach to Copyright: Anti-Monopoly, Pro-Intellectual Property Rights,” Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 8, No. 20 (2013).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "The 'Reason and Nature' of Intellectual Property: Copyright and Patent in The Federalist Papers," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 9, No. 4 (2014).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "Constitutional Foundations of Copyright and Patent in the First Congress," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 9, No. 18 (2014).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "Life, Liberty, and the Protection of Intellectual Property: Understanding IP in Light of Jeffersonian Principles," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 9, No. 25 (2014).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "Intellectual Property Rights Under the Constitution's Rule of Law," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 9, No. 31 (2014).

Randolph J. May and Seth L. Cooper, "Reaffirming the Foundation if IP Rights: Copyright and Patent in the Antebellum Era," Perspectives from FSF Scholars, Vol. 9, No. 38 (2014).