As I noted in my last post, The Media Wonk will be hosting the first Digital Breakfast DC panel discussion on Oct. 1 on the topic of Technology and IP Enforcement, including the role of the White House IP Enforcement Coordinator, a new position created by the PRO-IP Act last year. Today, President Barack Obama named former head of Intellectual Property and Innovation at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Victoria Espinel to be the first to fill the new post.
The nomination, who must be approved by the Senate, drew praise from both sides of the IP aisle. “Today’s appointment is the welcome culmination of many months of work toward a more streamlined approach to intellectual property enforcement by the federal government,” the Copyright Alliance said in a statement. “This appointment and its locale within the Office of Management and Budget is a strong sign by the Administration that it believes in the importance of creators’ rights and seeing those rights are enforced here and abroad.”
Public Interest group Public Knowledge, which is often at odds with the Copyright Alliance over IP issues, said in a statement, ““We congratulate Victoria Espinel on her nomination to be the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. She is well qualified for the position, having served as the assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation. We look forward to working with her upon confirmation by the Senate. We believe she will be fair in her approach to intellectual property enforcement issues.”
Discussion the appointment at the breakfast will be panelistsRick Cotton, general counsel of NBC Universal, Prof. Peter Jaszi of Washington College of Law at American University, Jon Baumgarten, partner with Proskauer Rose, Bill Rosenblatt of GiantSteps Media and entertainment attorney Chris Castle, who represents music artists and songwriters.
Those interested in attending can register here.