The White House has nominated Danny Marti as Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator in the Executive Office of the President.
Marti 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.
Marti was getting plaudits from the industry.
“We are pleased that the President has appointed Danny Marti as the next U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and urge Congress to move quickly to confirm his nomination to this important position," said Kim Harris, general counsel of NBCUniversal. "We look forward to working with Danny and the administration on the important issue of protecting IP, which is a key driver of American innovation and economic growth.”
NBC has been a leading voice for intellectual property protection from the days when former NBC top exec Bob Wright carried the standard for the company.
“We applaud the Administration’s intent to nominate Danny Marti as U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC)," said Motion Picture Association of America chairman Chris Dodd. "The IPEC plays a critical role in promoting intellectual property as a driver of our nation’s culture and economy. Danny’s impressive record of commitment to enforcing IP rights in the Internet age makes him a particularly strong choice. We urge the Senate to confirm him without delay for this important job.”
"We applaud the appointment of Danny Marti as Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and look forward to working with him and the Administration to protect the intellectual property the helps fuel the American economy," said the National Cable & Telecommunications Association in a statement.
(Photo via Cliff's Flickr. Image taken on Aug. 29, 2014 and used per Creative Commons 2.0 license. The photo was cropped to fit 3x4 aspect ratio.)
