The United States’ Biggest Weakness in the Trade War

The United States’ real trade war weak spot isn’t steel or soybeans, it’s intellectual property. With US firms earning billions from patents, tech and creative industries abroad, foreign governments could strike hardest by suspending IP protections. In this opinion piece, first published by World Politics Review, Jeremy de Beer unpacks why the knowledge economy may be Washington’s greatest vulnerability.

Ukraine’s success with low-cost drones shows how innovation, technology and agility can offset sheer military scale. Hundreds of inexpensive drones have allowed Ukraine to strike strategically, highlighting the value of adaptive and affordable solutions over massive systems.

In this opinion article, Marie Lamensch explores how Canada could adopt similar strategies. By investing in AI, low-cost drone systems and public-private-civilian collaborations, Canada could modernize its defence, improve readiness and stay competitive in a rapidly changing global security landscape.

Nov. 4 to Nov. 6 – 9:00 a.m. EST (UTC–05:00) – Ottawa: Co-hosted by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the World Intellectual Property Organization and CIGI, this year’s conference will explore the theme “IP Offices: A Catalyst for Innovation.”

Now in its eighth year, the conference serves as a key platform for experts to exchange insights and advancements in IP data, policy and research.

Join us this November! This hybrid event is free to all, but registration is required.