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Our society’s capacity for invention and innovation helps to drive economic growth and our improved standard of living. Because of the central role that innovation plays in high tech markets, intellectual property (IP) rights, including those arising from patent and copyright law, are often a key factor in high tech competition. The patent and antitrust laws are complementary, because both are aimed at encouraging innovation, productivity and competition. Patent policy encourages competition among firms to invest time and money in inventing new technologies because of a patent’s grant of an exclusive right to make, use or sell the invention for a certain period of time increases the potential rewards to successful inventors. Patents and intellectual property rights do play a crucial part in antitrust analysis. This Web site provides links to further information about Commission activities relating to this important issue.
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