White House Lays Out New Strategy for Protecting Intellectual Property
Congressional Quarterly
The Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled a new strategy for enforcing intellectual property laws, in advance of a Senate Judiciary hearing Wednesday.
The strategy was mandated by a 2008 law (PL 110-403), which also established an intellectual property enforcement coordinator in the White House.
“Perhaps our greatest export is America’s creative impulse,” Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said, adding, “Piracy is theft, clean and simple.”
The strategy promises better coordination among federal government agencies and between the United States and other governments and international organizations, as well as an effort to “secure supply chains” to stop the flow of counterfeit products into the country. The administration intends to develop a shared database for intellectual property cases for federal law enforcement agencies.
“Help is on the way,” said Victoria A. Espinel, the White House IP enforcement coordinator.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., praised the administration’s effort and said he looks forward to discussing the plan at his panel’s hearing on Wednesday.
“The plan highlights the importance of effective and efficient enforcement of American intellectual property rights, which in turn protects American jobs and promotes economic growth,” Leahy said in a statement.
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