[Ecommerce] IP Law Bulletin: Bush Names International Intellectual Property Czar

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

http://www.iplawbulletin.com/cgi-bin/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=3748&z=18

Bush Names International Intellectual Property Czar
IP Law Bulletin (Friday, July 22, 2005)--U.S. President George W. Bush
has created a new position in the Commerce
Department to coordinate government efforts to enforce intellectual
property rights internationally.

Bush selected Christian Israel, currently a deputy chief of staff at the
Commerce Department, to fill the new post of coordinator of international
intellectual property enforcement.

Israel will head an interagency panel covering five government agencies
and will report to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, the Commerce
Department said.

With guidance from Secretary Gutierrez, the new office will focus entirely
on coordinating and leveraging the resources within the federal government
to protect U.S. intellectual property at home and abroad, the Commerce
Department said.

"Intellectual property theft costs U.S. businesses billions of dollars and
weakens our economy," Gutierrez said. "American ingenuity and innovation
are driving forces in our economy and we need to protect our ideas, both
at home and abroad. This new position will help us to be more aggressive
and also help us to better coordinate our fight against intellectual
property pirates."

Israel will head the international work of the National Intellectual
Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council and coordinate and supervise
international intellectual property protection plans among other agencies,
the Commerce Department said.

Israel has served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Commerce
since 2004, where he has helped advance the administration's agenda of
growing the economy, promoting trade expansion and protecting intellectual
property rights.

The World Customs Organization and Interpol estimate the total global
trade in illegitimate goods increased in 2004 to more than $600 billion.

U.S. companies alone lose an estimated $250 billion per year, the Commerce
Department said in a statement.