The Senate on Monday (March 9) confirmed Danny Marti as Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC).
Marti, who was nominated last August, has been managing partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton in Washington, including serving as co-chair of the firm's intellectual asset acquisitions & transactions team.
The IPEC oversees the White House's efforts to combat intellectual property infringement, including the theft of copyrighted TV shows and movies, while protecting fair use rights.
Marti's predecessor, Victoria Espinel, pushed for legislation to clarify that live-streaming illegal copies of movies and TV shows was just as much a crime as downloading them.
Dean Garfield, the President and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), the global voice for the technology sector's leading companies, issued the following statement today in response after the Senate voted to confirm Danny Marti as the next Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator:
"Intellectual property is one of the building blocks for advances in our connected digital age," said Dean Garfield, president of the Information Technology Industry Council. "Mr. Marti's predecessor showed this new position can play a unique role in protecting created works while also fostering creativity and innovation by bringing a variety of voices into the policy discussion. We congratulate Mr. Marti and look forward to working with him to ensure intellectual property policy continues to help drive new products that improve lives and grow our economy."
"We congratulate Danny Marti on his confirmation as U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC)," said Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America. "We look forward to working with Mr. Marti in his new capacity to ensure that America's IP framework remains a robust and steady force for promoting economic growth, creativity, and innovation in today's digital age."
"The Copyright Alliance welcomes the confirmation of Mr. Marti," said Alliance CEO Sandra Aistars. "[He] has a distinguished record as an intellectual property lawyer, as well as a personal and family connection to the creative community, which will serve him well in understanding the many opportunities and challenges creative workers and innovators face in the current environment...We stand ready to offer our full support and cooperation to Mr. Marti as he assumes his new role."
