Competition and Intellectual Property Policy: The Way Ahead

Timothy J Muris, Chairman, Federal Trade Commission

1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 11/15/2001)

In this speech, Timothy J. Muris, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission describes his views as to the new initiative the antitrust agencies (the FTC and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice) should take to enhance their understanding of how to manage issues involving competition and intellectual property law and policy and to harmonize existing doctrines in a way that maximizes consumer benefits. He then reviews recent developments in relevant law and policy, as well as current FTC initiatives that should benefit from hearings to be held by these agencies on the relationship between competition and intellectual property. The speech contains a segment devoted to SDOs in which Mr. Muris notes a need on the part of the agencies to increase their understanding of the standards development process in order to address anti-competitive practices in this area, while at the same time being sensitive to the need for such standardization in today's global economy.