Intellectual Property Law

It seems as if Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been President-elect Obama's constant companion since he officially unveiled his endorsement of the candidate late last month.

Schmidt was again by Obama's side Friday when Obama met behind closed doors with Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual and his transition economic advisory board, which included Schmidt, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, Time Warner Chairman of the Board Richard Parsons, and 14 other former and current government officials.

No details about the discussion were released to the news media on Friday, but during the following press conference, Obama said that he would like to see the enactment of an economic stimulus package before or soon after election day.

Schmidt also appeared with Obama and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker at an economic round-table event in Orlando, Florida late October, where he spoke about the role of futuristic technologies in the economy.

Perhaps it's a just another sign of the times that a Silicon Valley executive is now part of the executive branch-to-be's economic advisory board. If McCain had been elected, he probably would have had either Meg Whitman, eBay's former president and CEO, or Carly Fiorina, HP's former chairman of the board and CEO,  at his side.   

(Photo: World Economic Forum.)