Obama’s Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Steps Down

  • Aug 12 2013
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  • Category: News

Victoria Espinel, the White House’s first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, has stepped down from that position, sometimes referred to as the “IP Czar”.   Espinel, a former professor at the George Mason University School of Law, was appointed by President Obama in September 2009 and confirmed by the Senate later that year. As IP Enforcement Coordinator, Espinel was responsible for the development and implementation of the President’s overall strategy for the enforcement of intellectual property.  She encouraged development of best practices on ways to combat online piracy and the sale of counterfeit products on the Web and urged Congress to make illegal streaming of online content a felony. Espinel will temporarily be replaced by Howard Shelanski (administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget) while the administration searches for a replacement.