[A2k] IP-Watch: People News - Steiger To Africa, Sigall To Microsoft

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

http://www.ip-watch.org

8/1/2007

People News - Steiger To Africa, Sigall To Microsoft

Filed under: English Subscribers posted by William New @ 11:07 am

By William New

As the Bush administration enters its final cycle, personnel changes
are being seen at a variety of levels, including key health, copyright
and telecommunications officials involved in intellectual
property-related issues.

The White House announced on 4 January that William Steiger, a key
official in last year's World Health Organization debates over
intellectual property and health, will be nominated to be US ambassador
to Mozambique. The nomination would require Senate approval.

Steiger, who the White House said hails from the state of Wisconsin,
currently serves as special assistant to the secretary for
international affairs at the US Department of Health and Human
Services. Prior to this, he served as an education policy advisor in
the Office of the Governor for the State of Wisconsin. Steiger received
his bachelor's degree from Yale University, his master's degree and PhD
from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Steiger led the US delegation to the 2006 World Health Assembly [for an
interview with Steiger at the assembly click here] where he played a
role in the adoption of a resolution that launched the WHO
Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and
Intellectual Property (IPW, 12 December 2006).

Steiger raised eyebrows in Geneva in 2006 when he attacked the WHO's
publication policy after the printing of a report critical of the
impact of US trade policy on public health. Democrats in the US
Congress, including Senator Edward Kennedy (Massachusetts),
subsequently launched an investigation into Steiger's actions (IPW, 10
November 2006).

Sigall Leaves US Copyright Office for Microsoft

Jule Sigall, former associate register for policy and international
affairs at the US Copyright Office, began work in January for the
Microsoft Corporation, according to the Washington-based Tech Law
Journal. Sigall played a key role on the US delegation in negotiations
at the World Intellectual Property Organization for a treaty to protect
broadcasters' rights. He also was a leader in US policy debates on
issues related to works whose copyright holder is not known, called
orphan works.

Sigall joined the Copyright Office in February 2003. Before that, he
was in the intellectual property and technology practice at the law
firm Arnold and Porter. Sigall earned his law degree at George
Washington University Law School.

Also at the Copyright Office, the position of Associate General Counsel
will be renamed Deputy General Counsel and Maria Pallente has been
named to the position. Tanya Sandros, former Associate General Counsel,
is now Acting General Counsel.

Russell to World Radio Communication Conference

Finally, the White House announced that Richard M. Russell would be
nominated for the title of ambassador to serve as the US representative
to the World Radio Communication Conference.

The conference of the UN International Telecommunication Union
addresses issues related to the global radio frequency spectrum, and
meets again in Geneva on 22 October to 16 November 2007.

William New may be reached at wnew@ip-watch.ch.

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Thiru Balasubramaniam
Geneva Representative
CPTech
voice +41.22.791.6727
fax +41.22.723.2988
mobile +41 76 508 0997
thiru@cptech.org