Mission

IPPI promotes rigorous, fact-based research and policy discussions exploring how intellectual property rights in innovation and creativity support flourishing economies, businesses, and individual lives.

Vision

IPPI will be the center of a vibrant intellectual community that advances understanding of how effective intellectual property systems contribute to human progress. As the hub of a growing network of scholars, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, we will lead a school of thought that recognizes the moral and economic value of intellectual property rights, ultimately rebalancing scholarly and policy debates through evidence-based engagement.

Values

• Academic Integrity: We pursue rigorous, methodologically sound, and independent research, following the evidence rather than predetermined outcomes.
• Real-World Relevance: Our work is grounded in the actual experiences of innovators, creators, IP-intensive businesses, and legal practitioners.
• Community: We cultivate a diverse network of scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders who engage in constructive dialogue about intellectual property’s role in society.
• Effective Communication: We believe that good scholarship should not sit on a shelf, so we translate complex research into accessible formats that inform policymakers and the public about intellectual property’s value.
• Balance: We provide evidence-based perspectives that contribute to a more complete understanding of intellectual property systems in a scholarly and policy landscape often dominated by skepticism.
• Impact: We actively engage in policy discussions through policy briefs, testimony, and public engagement to ensure scholarly insights improve real-world IP systems.

Funding

IPPI is a non-profit center fully funded by private donations, which come to IPPI via The University of Akron Foundation, a 501(c)(3). If you are interested in supporting IPPI, please contact Executive Director Joshua Kresh at jkresh@uakron.edu.

History

• In 2012, the Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property (CPIP) was founded at the then George Mason University School of Law (now George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School) by Professors Adam Mossoff and Professor Mark F. Schultz. CPIP’s focus was the scholarly analysis of intellectual property (IP) rights and the technological, commercial, and creative innovation they facilitate.
• In 2020, CPIP rebranded to the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (C-IP²; pronounced “sip-squared“), highlighting the important intersection between IP and innovation.
• In February 2025, C-IP² ceased operations at Scalia Law.
• In March 2025, the former C-IP² team, headed by Professor Mark F. Schultz, founded IPPI: The IP Policy Institute with The University of Akron School of Law.