Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Copyright Law Blogs -> ZeroPaid

Copyright Law

: ZeroPaid

Bush Signs Law Creating 'Copyright Czar'

By soulxtc

PRO-IP Acts makes cabinet-level piracy position on par with the US drug czar. President Bush signed the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO-IP Act) into law yesterday which increases penalties for intellectual-property infringement and provides the Justice Department with more resources to coordinate federal and state efforts against counterfeiting and piracy. The bill covers everything from film and TV to music, drugs and software. The White House had initially opposed the bill out of concern that Congress was making unconstitutional attempts to create executive branch positions and a reluctance to divert precious Justice Dept resources towards civil prosecutions for copyright infringement. After the latter proposal was removed from the bill, the President apparently found the legislation palatable enough to sign.

Full post as published by ZeroPaid on October 14, 2008 (boomark / email).