The Committee on Small Business will meet for a hearing titled, “Innovation Nation: How Small Businesses in the Digital Technology Industry Use Intellectual Property.”  The hearing is scheduled to begin at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, July 11, 2018 in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Digital technology allows small businesses to sell their products and services all over the world. Not only does digital technology benefit small businesses by lowering their operating costs, developing market automation, and improving customer relationships, but small businesses can expand by entering the digital technology industry themselves. More than just taking advantage of digital tools to improve a pre-existing small business, small businesses are becoming the digital tools, and small businesses in the digital technology industry continue to emerge. While each company is unique, these small businesses have developed first and foremost because of their utilization of technology. As a result of their unique innovations, small businesses create intellectual property, but in turn face challenges in protecting their ideas.  This hearing will examine how small business owners in the digital technology industry utilize intellectual property and the issues they face when navigating the intellectual property processes.

Attachments
1. Hearing Notice
2. Witness List 
3. Hearing Memo 

Witnesses
Mr. Frank Cullen
Vice President of U.S. Policy
The Global Innovation Policy Center
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Washington, DC
Testimony
Disclosure

Mr. Morgan Reed
President
ACT | The App Association
Washington, DC
Testimony
Disclosure

Mr. Christopher Mohr
Vice President for Intellectual Property and General Counsel
Software & Information Industry Association
Washington, DC
Testimony, Supplemental 
Disclosure

Mr. Chris Israel
Executive Director
Alliance for U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs
Washington, DC
Testimony, Appendix 
Disclosure