Last week, President Barack Obama delivered his 2014 State of the Union address, discussing intellectual property, investment, and the protection of the environment.

Much like in his State of the Union Address in 2013, the President promoted his ambitious regional trade agenda – with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

The prospects of the trade deals, though, remain doubtful.

A grand coalition of civil society organizations has been formed to try to stop efforts to fast-track such trade agreements through the United States Congress.

On top of that, a large number of Democrats in the United States Congress have expressed concerns about the secretive nature of the trade agreements, and their potential impact upon labor rights, intellectual property, health, and the environment. Moreover, a number of Republicans have also been concerned about the proposed deals.

The President's State of the Union address revealed a number of contradictions and paradoxes in the position of the White House on intellectual property and trade.