Groups Press Obama to Diversify IP-Related Appointments

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 3, 2009 - 9:12am.

Washington - A coalition of public interest groups has written to President Obama, calling on him to "diversify" future appointments to intellectual property policy positions, after Obama named several former attorneys from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to top positions within the Justice Department. The 19 organizations signing onto the letter included the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Public Knowledge, Consumer Electronics Association, American Library Association and Wikimedia Foundation.

Obama has not yet announced his appointments for the newly-created, cabinet-level position of "copyright czar," U.S. Trade Representative, or IP-related positions in the State Department and Patent and Trademark Office.

"In selecting these officials, we ask you to consider that individuals who support overly broad IP protection might favor established distribution models at the expense of technological innovators, creative artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and an increasingly participatory public," the groups wrote in their letter to Obama.

"While we recognize the rights of corporate content creators, we might also recognize the rights of consumers lawfully to create their own works and to use their own digital media. It's that balance the Administration needs to recognize," added Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge.

Related Links:
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/04/02

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/04/obama-stop-fill.html

http://techdirt.com/articles/20090402/1801344362.shtml