SIIA Statement on Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee on Importance of Digital Trade and Innovation

The following statement can be attributed to Chris Mohr, President, the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).

SIIA commends the Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee for continuing to shine a light on the importance of digital trade and innovation as crucial drivers of America's global technology leadership and competitiveness.

Of particular concern is the proliferation of regulations, such as the EU's Digital Markets Act and copycat legislation in a growing number of foreign jurisdictions, along with digital services taxes, that target successful U.S. tech companies, hurting small businesses and consumers in the process. The focus instead should be on promoting a pro-growth agenda that benefits all parts of the economy.

Similarly, U.S. leadership in innovation has been fueled and protected by balanced IP policies that preserve the incentives to invest and innovate while limiting the damage from overly restrictive, anti-innovative policies that strengthen rent-seeking. Congress should reject legislation that undermines that balance-such as PERA, PREVAIL, and RESTORE-and instead focus on restoring the important function, undermined by current USPTO policies, of the America Invents Act in eliminating bad patents that restrict American innovators and manufacturers from creating and building cutting-edge technologies.

We look forward to continuing our work with Congress to advance U.S. economic interests both at home and abroad.