When manufacturers use stolen intellectual property (IP) to cut their business costs, they gain an unfair competitive advantage that results in reduced revenues and job growth for responsible Kentucky and U.S. manufacturers. IP theft is a particularly serious problem in emerging export markets with a weak rule of law that encourages illegal and unethical business practices. The Chamber encourages federal and state policymakers to enact policies that will improve business competitiveness by promoting and defending robust intellectual property rules globally while strengthening enforcement efforts in the United States and abroad. Protecting IP in the form of patents is critical to protect innovation, but it is also necessary to deter frivolous patent claims by so-called patent trolls who use the court system as their personal ATM, extorting businesses with dubious claims of patent infringement. The Chamber strongly supports efforts to inhibit patent trolls while balancing the need to protect patents.