Orange County – In an effort to suppress Internet piracy, President Obama has announced a set of proposed bills he will be sending for Congressional approval.  The legislative proposals are designed to increase the enforcement of laws regarding intellectual property theft, specifically online piracy.

Victoria Espinel, who has been appointed by the Obama administration as the first intellectual property enforcement coordinator, submitted the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement (Strategy).  Some of the categories outlined in the strategy include the U.S. Government’s attempts to prevent importation and use of infringing products, and working with Internet service providers, credit card companies, search engines, and others in order to secure the U.S. supply chain.  The goal of such efforts will be to limit the number of infringing products entering into the country.  The U.S. will also continue working with foreign governments to enforce intellectual property laws abroad. 

The Obama administration is also praising the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a copyright treaty that it believes will help intellectual property owners and the U.S. government combat infringement.

Espinel’s proposal doesn’t make mention of the right to make fair use of copyrighted material, however there is a side note on a page that mentions the White House seeks to protect “legitimate uses of the Internet and principles of free speech and fair process.”