Gene Burrus

Gene Burrus is Director of Global Competition Policy at Spotify, where he has worked since 2020.  Gene has had a long career in antitrust and competition law around the world in technology markets, including 15 years at Microsoft.  In particular, he has focused on enforcement against and policy regarding dominant digital platforms.

How Europe Lost Global Biopharmaceutical R&D Leadership to the United States: Lessons for Today

By Anne Prichett Today, the United States leads the world in biopharmaceutical industry research and development (R&D), supporting nearly five million jobs and generating more than $1.65 trillion in economic output. This position of global leadership, however, is relatively recent. Until the late 1980s, Europe–particularly Germany, France,
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If Private Sector R&D Is the Future, IP Policy Must Catch Up

By Chris Borges The President’s Budget Request for fiscal year 2026 (FY 2026) includes steep cuts to federal research and development (R&D) funding—a troubling signal for U.S. innovation and economic security. While congressional committees may push back on the most severe reductions, the signs are clear: Federal R&D funding is likely
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Don’t Tax Invention: The Risks of a Patent Tax

By Sujai Shivakumar and Chris Borges The Commerce Department is reportedly considering a novel revenue-raising idea to address the national debt: a “patent tax.” Under this proposal, patent holders would be required to pay the federal government between 1 and 5 percent of their patents’ assessed value each year. While the
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