US: WH regulatory czar Shelanski replaces first IP enforcer

Following the announcement that Victoria Espinel, the first US Intellectual Enforcement Property Coordinator, will be stepping down from her post, reports say White House regulatory czar Howard Shelanski will step in as acting IPEC. Espinel served for four years in the position.

Shelanski was appointed by the Obama administration earlier this year to become regulatory czar, a high-profile position in the White House responsible for reviewing government department regulatory proposals. He previously served as the Director of the Bureau of Economics at the FTC since July 2012; FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez announced his departure from the agency last July.

The position of IPEC was formed through the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 and aims to assist government agencies and officials – including the White House – on intellectual property issues.

The position also enforces foreign trade agreements. Intellectual property is a topic often hit with antitrust issues. Most recently, the issue surrounds a recent spat between smart phone rivals Apple and Samsung, who have sued each other and earned import bans for phones that infringe on each other’s patents.

Full Content: PatentDocs.org

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