Bridging the Disconnect - IP Memes Matter

Why do even smart people misunderstand intellectual property, and what does that cost the economy? Corey Salsberg, Vice President and Global Head of IP Affairs at Novartis, sits down with Bruce Berman to explain why intellectual property remains so widely misunderstood, even though IP-driven industries account for roughly a third of the American workforce and more than 44 percent of US GDP. Salsberg has spent his career trying to tell the IP story better, not just tell a better IP story, and in this conversation he explains why. The conversation covers the history of the US patent system dating back to the Constitution, why patent eligibility remains a confusing and contested legal question, and what artificial intelligence means for who can legally be called an inventor. Salsberg also breaks down the economics behind drug development, including why most medicines never turn a profit and why an approaching patent cliff threatens future R&D, and explains why patents should be understood as a bridge rather than a barricade. This matters well beyond IP lawyers. Entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and anyone curious about how innovation actually gets funded and protected will find a clear, business-minded explanation of why intellectual property shapes products, industries, and everyday life. CONNECT & SUBSCRIBE Learn more about CIPU: understandingip.org Connect with Corey Salsberg:   / corey-salsberg   Understanding IP Matters is produced by the Center for Intellectual Property Understanding (CIPU). Subscribe on your platform of choice or visit understandingip.org. 00:00 Why IP stories go untold 00:46 Introducing Corey Salsberg 01:28 Where the IP disconnect begins 02:16 The historical roots of the patent system 03:19 One third of US jobs tied to IP 04:12 The education gap, even in law school 05:09 The Spider-Man copyright joke 05:42 IP's communication and attention span problem 07:44 Mark Twain's crab quote on patents 08:33 Politicians and the declining IP voice 09:19 IP through four industrial revolutions 10:22 The surprisingly recent age of modern medicine 12:02 What is and isn't patentable 13:29 The Chakrabarty decision and modern biotech 14:28 Gene patents and the ACLU case 15:17 AI, inventorship, and who owns a patent 17:44 Why AI cannot legally be an inventor 19:11 Patents as a bridge, not a barricade 21:18 Drug pricing is not an IP issue 22:35 The multi-billion dollar cost of a new medicine 23:47 Aspirin, antibiotics, and early pharma patents 24:19 Why most medicines never become profitable 25:38 AI, R&D efficiency, and future drug possibilities 27:28 Federal research cuts and the academia gap 29:41 Private funding and its risks for science 30:12 Why human connection still matters 32:09 Corey's father and his path into patent law 34:10 Do C-suites really understand IP? 36:17 IP champions among industry CEOs 38:03 What's happening with IP reform in Congress 40:38 How the US became a pharma innovation leader 43:19 Teaching IP as part of general education 45:33 The story behind Levi's rivets and jeans 46:29 Eddie Van Halen's guitar patents 48:04 AI is turning everyone into an IP creator 49:08 Taylor Swift, the NFL, and IP advocacy 49:30 Dolly Parton's rights of publicity 50:02 Closing thoughts and what's next