[A2k] Main Justice on Copyright Poobahs at the White House

[Seth Johnson]

> http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/12/15/holder-at-white-house-summit-with-e=
ntertainment-executives/


Holder At White House Summit With Entertainment Executives


By Ryan J. Reilly

December 15, 2009


"At the conclusion of the remarks by government officials, press
members were escorted out of the room before the conversation with the
industry officials began. CEOs declined to speak with a small group of
reporters when they emerged over 50 minutes later, a half hour longer
than anticipated."

(Photo: Attorney General Eric Holder, Vice President Joe Biden,
Secretary for Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and FBI Director
Robert Mueller at a meeting with entertainment industry
representatives on Tuesday [photo by Ryan J. Reilly / Main Justice:
http://www.mainjustice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/piracysummit6-1024x68=
2.jpg]).



Vice President Joe Biden led a round table meeting of high ranking
government officials and entertainment industry executives at the
White House conference center today, where he pledged that the Obama
administration would work to combat piracy in the rapidly changing
technological age.

Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller were just
two of the officials in attendance at the meeting, which the White
House billed as the first of its kind. Others included Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke,
Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett and Secret Service Director Mark
Sullivan.

=93This is a problem that the United States cannot solve by itself,=94
said Holder. =93We want to confront these nations, quite frankly, where
too much of this occurs.=94

Holder announced that the Justice Department would be setting up an
intellectual property enforcement training and technical assistance
program to provide resources to train state and local officials on how
to investigate and prevent intellectual property crimes.

While the FBI has been offering such training previously, Biden said
this was the first time the government had been making a coordinated
effort, which he called =93long overdue.=94


(Photo: NBC President Jeff Zucker at Tuesday's meeting [photo by Ryan
J. Reilly / Main Justice:
http://www.mainjustice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/piracysummit1-355x236=
.jpg]).


Biden said he was offended by the violation of copyrights, which he
called =93flat unadulterated theft.=94 He said it was important to get the
=93all the major players in one place, in one room, with one overall,
overarching strategy on how to deal with what is a serious, serious
problem facing this country.

In a statement, the Motion Picture Association of America said: =93We
especially appreciate the Vice President=92s long history of support for
the protection of intellectual property, and thank him for his
continued leadership defending American workers and businesses.=94

=93I=92ve been in this battle with y=92all since I don=92t know how long,=
=94
said Biden. =93The problem has gotten worse. Intellectual piracy is
costing this country and all of you billions of dollars and thousands
of jobs, and unless we better coordinate with all the resources of the
federal government to deal with this problem, it=92s likely to only get
worse.=94

Holder said he would reinvigorate a DOJ task force on the enforcement
of intellectual property rights. =93We want to convene an international
meeting to start work with our international partners,=94 said Holder.

(Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/SAYjKMyLIiY&amp )

At the conclusion of the remarks by government officials, press
members were escorted out of the room before the conversation with the
industry officials began. CEOs declined to speak with a small group of
reporters when they emerged over 50 minutes later, a half hour longer
than anticipated.

One consumer group, Public Knowledge, said it was =93extremely
disappointed to learn of the White House meeting to be held later
today on the issue of intellectual property and =91piracy=92,=94 according
to Daily Finance
(http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/15/consumer-group-blasts-white-houses-=
digital-piracy-pow-wow/).

=93No consumer or public-interest groups, technology companies,
technology associations or Internet service providers are on the guest
list,=94 said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge. =93No one who
questions the need for draconian governmental policies on behalf of
the privileged special interest group for whom this meeting is being
held is on the guest list.=94

UPDATE 12/16: The White House meeting came a day after DOJ Criminal
Division chief Lanny Breuer and John Morton, assistant secretary for
Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland
Security, held a news conference to announce that authorities had
seized $26 million in counterfeit goods earlier this month in a joint
operation with Mexico.

The announcement about Operation Holiday Hoax took place at the
ICE-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center in
Crystal City, Va., on Monday
(http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0912/091214washingtondc.htm). Dan Glickman,
chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA);
and Mitch Bainwol, his counterpart at the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA), were also on hand. Both entertainment
industry groups have pushed hard for strong intellectual property
enforcement.

List of Attendees

Main Justice obtained a list from the White House of those who were
confirmed to be in attendance at the Tuesday summit:

    The Honorable Joe Biden
    Vice President of the United States

    The Honorable Eric Holder
    United States Attorney General

    The Honorable Gary Locke
    United States Secretary of Commerce

    The Honorable Janet Napolitano
    United States Secretary of Homeland Security

    The Honorable Robert S. Mueller
    Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation

    The Honorable John T. Morton
    Assistant Secretary, United States Immigration & Customs
Enforcement
    Department of Homeland Security

    The Honorable David Kappos
    Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and
    Director, United States Patent & Trademark Office

    The Honorable Douglas A. Smith
    Assistant Secretary, Office of the Private Sector
    Department of Homeland Security

    Valerie Jarrett
    Senior Advisor and Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
and Public Engagement
    The White House

    Mark J. Sullivan
    Director, United States Secret Service

    Michael Lynton
    Chairman & CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment

    Barry Meyer
    Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. Entertainment

    Carol Melton
    Executive Vice President, Time Warner Inc.

    Philippe Dauman
    Chairman & CEO, Viacom

    Jeffrey Zucker
    CEO, NBC Universal

    Rick Cotton
    General Counsel, NBC Universal

    Edgar Bronfman
    CEO, Warner Music Group

    Linda Bloss-Baum
    Vice President, Warner Music Group

    Brian Murray
    President & CEO, Harper Collins

    Zachary Horowitz
    President & COO, Universal Music Group

    Matthew Gerson
    Executive Vice President, Universal Music Group

    Richard Bates
    Senior Vice President, The Walt Disney Company

    Toni Bush
    Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

    Daniel Glickman
    Chairman & CEO, Motion Picture Association of America

    Mitch Bainwol
    Chairman & CEO, Recording Industry Association of America

    Matthew Loeb
    International President, The International Alliance of Theatrical
Stage
    Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts
of
    the United States

    Kim Roberts Hedgpeth
    National Executive Director, American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists

    Taylor Hackford
    President, Directors Guild of America

    David Israelite
    President & CEO, National Music Publishers=92 Association

    David White
    National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator, Screen Actors
Guild

    Alan Hoffman
    Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President

    Victoria Espinel
    Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Office of
Management &
    Budget

    Terrell McSweeny
    Domestic Policy Advisor, Office of the Vice President

    Andrew Kline
    Senior Advisor for Crime Policy, Office of the Vice President

    James Garland
    Counselor to the Attorney General and Deputy Chief of Staff,
Department of Justice

    Michael Gallagher
    President & CEO, Entertainment Software Alliance

    Robert Holleyman
    President & CEO, Business Software Alliance

    Aneesh Chorpra
    White House CTO