Copyright Czar's Fate in Bush's Hands; Veto Looms - Wired.com, 9/29/08

Copyright Czar's Fate in Bush's Hands; Veto Looms:
"[T]he Bush administration also doesn't want a copyright czar, a position on par with the nation's drug czar Congress created in 1982 to wage the War on Drugs...
The proposed copyright czar, a position which requires Senate confirmation, "constitutes a legislative intrusion into the internal structure and composition of the president's administration. This provision is therefore objectionable on constitutional separation of powers grounds," the White House wrote lawmakers.
That was code for the Bush administration being in no mood to commence another war, this one the War on Piracy. The government is too busy battling the War on Terror and the War on Drugs."
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/copyright-czars.html

Senate Gives The White House A Copyright Czar - Techdirt, 9/26/08

Senate Gives The White House A Copyright Czar:
"While some of the worst provisions were removed, this still remains a bill that has one purpose: to protect an obsolete business model, rather than letting more innovative models proliferate."
http://techdirt.com/articles/20080926/1429572385.shtml

Senate Passes Controversial 'Copyright Czar' Bill - PC Mag, 9/26/08

Senate Passes Controversial 'Copyright Czar' Bill:
"The RIAA voiced its support for the bill. "This bill truly is music to the ears of all those who care about strengthening American creativity and jobs," Mitch Bainwol, chairman and chief executive of the RIAA, said in a statement. "At a critical economic juncture, this bipartisan legislation provides enhanced protection for an important asset that helps lead our global competitiveness. The intellectual property industries are widely recognized as a cornerstone of the U.S. economy. Additional tools for intellectual property enforcement are not just good for the copyright community but for consumers who will enjoy a wider array of legitimate offerings."
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2331291,00.asp

IP bill passes Senate - ars technica, 9/26/08

IP bill passes Senate:
"Until recently dubbed the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act, S.3325 was rebranded as the "Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act," or PRO-IP, to match its sibling in the House of Representatives. It also now resembles the House bill, which passed overwhelmingly in May, in that it lacks a clause that would have given the Justice Department authority to bring civil suits against patent and copyright infringers, turning the damages over to the IP holders."
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080926-ip-bill-passes-senate-no-civil-enforcement-power-for-doj.html

A Perfect Storm of Bad Copyright Legislation - Public Knowledge, 9/10/08

A Perfect Storm of Bad Copyright Legislation:
"Here at PK, we’ve been keeping our heads down the past few days, trying to fight against some really bad legislation. Once we finally get word of one, another one popped up. There are three in all (so far) are four (another was introduced during the writing of this post!!!) and we’re going to need your help to put them away...

First up is the Senate’s version of the House’s PRO-IP bill, S. 3325, “The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008.”...

[Second:] The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act
Not long ago, Congress required that when grants from National Institutes of Health for research are made, researchers must deposit a copy of their articles in PubMed Central, an online archive...

[Third:] Broadcast Flag
Believe it or not, we’re hearing rumors of the broadcast flag returning...

[Fourth:] International Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Act of 2008
We just received word of this bill being dropped this morning...."
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1733