U.S. to Get New IP Czar

tetraminoe writes "Reuters is reporting that Congress's latest spending bill provides for the creation of a federal copyright enforcement czar. According to the article, 'Under the program, the president can appoint a copyright law enforcement officer whose job is to coordinate law enforcement efforts aimed at stopping international copyright infringement and to oversee a federal umbrella agency responsible for administering intellectual property law.' It also gives $2 million to the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council (NIPLAC), created in the '90s and never funded. NIPLAC will work to protect American IP overseas and oversee enforcement."

I sure hope this IP czar...

[Anonymous Coward]

...is version 6. But knowing the government, I doubt it.

VOLTRON!

[Luigi30]

The power of the MPAA, RIAA, and FBI have combined to firm... NIPLAC!

Czar invades Russia!

[Doc Ruby]

Now we'll finally stop screwing around like a bunch of liberals, and invade Russia to stop their theft of honest American labor. Once we've got them whipped, it's on to China! The Czar rides again!

Re:First

[strider5]

Maybe instead they should have allocated more money for USPTO auditors so we can put a stop to people gaining patents for shit like shoelaces by calling them:

"cords made of woven fibers, providing tension across multiple eyelets to prevent footcoverings from falling free of the body"

seriously, this is bananas. what next?

How?

[Locdonan]

How can a czar (of all things) enforce our laws in another country? Other than certain areas where our law is recognized, we would be SOL! I can jsut see it.

"Hello Nigeria, we have about 4000 people we need to have you arrest for sending spam and rerouting information over the internet in a effort to scam our residents. What are you laughing at? Stop it! Hello? Hello? Oh well, we will try again tomorrow."

I can't imagine this actually taking hold.

Why NIPLAC?

[The Dodger]

I guess NIPLECC was too close for comfort. :-)

D.

Senator Hatch

[PortHaven]

Needs to be tarred, feathered and deballed!

And the President's first appointee will be...?

[adamh526]

None other than Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

Tired of the whole "Czar" thing

[CheeseTroll]

How about "Drug Fuhrer"?
"Education Pharoah"?
"Emperor of Homeland Security"?

Re:Huh?

[DaHat]

Airport and border security have always been a joke. The point of the TSA is to con you into thinking you're "safe" so you'll go about your life instead of cowering in fear.

Shhh, don't say that too loud.

Do you want the population to hear you undermining our system of security? Every time you criticize our leaders and the safeguards they have put in place to keep you and me safe... you help the terrorists win.

Quick!

[mogrify]

Quick! Somebody patent the idea of government-enforced copyright protection!

Re:First

[Anonymous Coward]

seriously, this is bananas. what next?

Patent application for plant-based cylindrical food product, tapered at the ends with slight curvature along length. Product employs ColorGrow(tm) technology which enables consumer to judge product age visually. Also incorporated natural and artifical flavor molecules to aid in ingestion and marketing.

Re:VOLTRON!

[Cylix]

W can then say his really nifty new catch phrase, "And I'll Form The Head!"

Re:Quick!

[Lysander Luddite]

I believe such a thing has prior art. But submit it to USPTO anyway and label it a business process and you'll probably get it.

Re:WTF is this 'CZAR' BS?

[Anonymous Coward]

Govermnent bureaucrats are typically older than slashdotters.

The older generation is still stuck on telling each other "In Czarist Russia" instead of "In Soviet Russia" jokes.