U.S. voters favor strong IP protection

A new poll finds most Americans want the Biden administration to protect IP rights on the international stage, and both consumers and investors are increasingly interested in products made from captured carbon. (560 words, 2 minutes, 48 seconds)

U.S. voters favor strong international IP protection, poll finds

Most Americans want the Biden administration to protect intellectual property rights at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and express concerns about waiving those rights, finds a new poll commissioned by the Bayh-Dole Coalition. 

Why it matters: In 2022, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) agreed to a waiver of WTO IP protection for COVID vaccines. Now, USTR is considering an extension of the waiver to include COVID diagnostics and therapeutics.

The key finding: 7 in 10 respondents said it’s important for the Biden administration to preserve WTO IP protections, and most said it’s very important, finds a Morning Consult poll of 2,202 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 22-24.

China is a concern: 68% said U.S. adversaries like China should not be able to replicate American-made technologies without permission from the inventors—with only 11% disagreeing and 21% saying they don’t know.

Vote for IP protection: 66% would be inclined to vote for a candidate who prioritizes stronger IP rights, while 11% said they prefer a candidate who weakens IP rights.

IP waivers aren’t necessary—and the COVID vaccine IP waiver was never used because IP was never a barrier to global distribution, 19 House Democrats recently told USTR.

BIO agrees: “There is no credible evidence supporting the need for an expanded TRIPS waiver,” said BIO Chief Policy Officer John Murphy.

More Health News: 

American Cancer Society: 2024 is first year U.S. expects more than 2M new cases of cancer
“This trend is largely affected by the aging and growth of the population and by a rise in diagnoses of 6 of the 10 most common cancers—breast, prostate, endometrial, pancreatic, kidney, and melanoma. (The other 4 top 10 cancers are lung, colon and rectum, bladder, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.) In 2024, over 611,000 deaths from cancer are projected for the US. That’s more than 1,600 deaths from cancer each day.”

Market grows for products made from captured carbon

Both consumers and investors are increasingly interested in startups using biotechnology to turn captured carbon into products like clothing and packaging.

Why it matters: Capturing and utilizing carbon emissions reduces the amount of atmospheric carbon, the most common greenhouse gas driving climate change while enabling more sustainable manufacturing.

By the numbers: The carbon utilization market will be worth nearly $10 billion by 2030, market research finds. Between 2015 and 2022, VC investment in carbon utilization businesses grew from $4 million to $484 million, according to the International Energy Agency.

Demand is growing: “There’s a lot more interest because consumers have become much more interested in buying things that are lower carbon,” Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of BIO member LanzaTech, tells Bloomberg.

How they do it: LanzaTech uses the bacterium Clostridium autoethanogenum to capture carbon from manufacturing and convert it into ethanol through a fermentation process similar to brewing beer. LanzaTech started with sustainable aviation fuel, but spun off that business to make a variety of biomaterials. Hear LanzaTech discuss its technology.

And LanzaTech has made a lot of materials—from packaging used by Plastipack to polyester used in Lululemon shorts, Zara dresses, On running shoes, and Craghoppers jackets, Bloomberg reports.

What’s next: “Utilizing CO2 often comes with an additional cost. As the demand for CO2-derived products climbs, that green premium is expected to go down,” Bloomberg predicts.

President Biden’s Thursday: Visiting Raleigh, NC, to promote Bidenomics.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee is holding a hearing, Addressing Long COVID: Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care. Meanwhile, work continues on the continuing resolution.