Inventor Diversity Pledge™ Update

In July 2021, the United States Intellectual Property Alliance (USIPA) launched The Diversity Pledge, having the aim of INCREASING DIVERSITY IN INNOVATION ™ and INCREASING DIVERSITY IN INVENTORSHIP ™ which encouraged companies to use patent data to visualize who participates in their innovation and inventorship processes and, more importantly, who does not.

Innovators of all types have shaped many aspects of the world throughout the centuries. However, findings by WIPO and leading researchers show some groups remain severely under-represented in many areas of intellectual property use. All of the data suggests that the world has missed out on millions of inventors.

Maintaining a technical and innovative edge is vital for success in the marketplace and for global economic and technological success. For individual companies, more innovation can lead to increased market share, customer acquisition, employee retention, and more. Increasing Diversity in Innovation is the first step in reaching these goals, and the time for action is now.

The Diversity Pledge is a commitment to working to understand and address the issue of underrepresented inventors. The pledge is currently signed by many of the world’s largest companies and innovators.