October 13th, 2008
Copyright czar is born: Prez signs Pro-IP law
Get ready for the Copyright Czar.
President Bush just signed the Pro-IP Act (the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008), which provides for a new executive position dedicated to managing copyright protections.
The bill also increases penalties for infringement and increases resources for the Justice Dept. to coordinate federal and state actions against infringers.
The White House had opposed the bill for a requirement, later dropped, that Justice civilly prosecute copyright infringement. In a letter, the department also argued that Congress was constitutionally forbidden from creating executive positions but that didn’t stop Bush from signing.
Hollywood types were universally happy, News.com reports.
“What the Congress recognized and the president has ratified is the critical importance of innovation, technical invention, and creativity to the U.S. economy,” said Rick Cotton, executive vice president and general counsel of NBC Universal. “This law will dramatically move the priority of IP enforcement up the agenda in critical ways.”
The identify of the czar will likely fall to the next president.
