What a delightful ring "IP Enforcement Coordinator" has to it, eh? It brings to mind stuffed teddy bears and picnics in the park with old friends.
Our pals at idolator, along with cnet, have the lowdown on "a new piece of RIAA-backed legislation... heading through Congress [that] would create an office within the White House for someone called the 'IP Enforcement Coordinator.'" It could happen very quickly.
Yikes!
Re: Intellectual property: Isn't it time for Mickey Mouse and Scrabble and Meet the Beatles to hit the public domain? They're all at least 45 years old, and Mickey is 80, for crying out loud. I don't know what a good number for the amount of time something is protected by copyright should be -- 5 years? 10 years? 25 years? -- but 45 to 80 is absurd.
From idolator: "The American Library Association was less excited, stating 'There is absolutely no reason for the federal government to assume this private enforcement role.'"
The cnet article is here. The idolator's short blurb is here.
