U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 8111. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator

(a) Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator

The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (in this subchapter referred to as the “IPEC”) to serve within the Executive Office of the President. As an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate, any nomination of the IPEC submitted to the Senate for confirmation, and referred to a committee, shall be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

(b) Duties of IPEC

(1) In general

The IPEC shall—

(A) chair the interagency intellectual property enforcement advisory committee established under subsection (b)(3)(A);

(B) coordinate the development of the Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement by the advisory committee under section 8113 of this title;

(C) assist, at the request of the departments and agencies listed in subsection (b)(3)(A), in the implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan;

(D) facilitate the issuance of policy guidance to departments and agencies on basic issues of policy and interpretation, to the extent necessary to assure the coordination of intellectual property enforcement policy and consistency with other law;

(E) report to the President and report to Congress, to the extent consistent with law, regarding domestic and international intellectual property enforcement programs;

(F) report to Congress, as provided in section 8114 of this title, on the implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan, and make recommendations, if any and as appropriate, to Congress for improvements in Federal intellectual property laws and enforcement efforts; and

(G) carry out such other functions as the President may direct.

(2) Limitation on authority

The IPEC may not control or direct any law enforcement agency, including the Department of Justice, in the exercise of its investigative or prosecutorial authority.

(3) Advisory committee

(A) Establishment

There is established an interagency intellectual property enforcement advisory committee composed of the IPEC, who shall chair the committee, and the following members:

(i) Senate-confirmed representatives of the following departments and agencies who are involved in intellectual property enforcement, and who are, or are appointed by, the respective heads of those departments and agencies:

(I) The Office of Management and Budget.

(II) Relevant units within the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Division.

(III) The United States Patent and Trademark Office and other relevant units of the Department of Commerce.

(IV) The Office of the United States Trade Representative.

(V) The Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Bureau of International Narcotics Law Enforcement.

(VI) The Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Border Protection, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(VII) The Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.

(VIII) The Department of Agriculture.

(IX) Any such other agencies as the President determines to be substantially involved in the efforts of the Federal Government to combat counterfeiting and infringement.

(ii) The Register of Copyrights, or a senior representative of the United States Copyright Office appointed by the Register of Copyrights.

(B) Functions

The advisory committee established under subparagraph (A) shall develop the Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement under section 8113 of this title.

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