Obama appoints copyright czar

According to Wired, President Obama appointed on Friday the first “copyright czar” in U.S. history. Her name is Victoria Espinel, and the official job title is “Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator”.

The position was created on October 2008 by the then-president Bush, a few days after the approval of the Pro-IP (Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights) Act by the Senate. The person filling this important position is charged with creating and putting into effect a national plan for combatting piracy and reports directly to the President and Congress.

Ms. Espinel (yet to be confirmed by the Senate for the position) has a background in government and teaching. She used to be an adviser for many Senate and House committees and she recently taught intellectual property and international trade at the George Mason University School of Law.

The appointment seems to be good news for everyone, but especially for the recording industry, Hollywood and various manufacturers. They see it as a step forward towards a full implementation of the Pro-IP legislation, which they hope will stop the downward spiral of plunging revenues due to ever-soaring piracy activity.