In other news, we now have a Copyright Czar

Senate Passes Bill Creating "Copyright Czar"

Excerpts:

U.S. lawmakers approved the creation of a cabinet-level position of copyright czar as part of sweeping intellectual property enforcement legislation that sailed through the Senate on Friday.

Did you catch that? This is a cabinet position.

The legislation, unanimously approved on a consent vote, came as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are scrambling to hammer out a $700 billion Wall Street bailout.

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The measure [pdf available at link] creates an executive-level "Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator" -- a copyright czar requiring Senate confirmation.

The executive and its office would be charged with creating a nationwide plan to combat piracy and "report directly to the president and Congress regarding domestic international intellectual property enforcement programs."

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The new copyright czar will oversee government anti-piracy crackdowns and, among other things, train other countries about IP enforcement. The legislation also creates an FBI piracy unit and allows for the forfeiture of equipment used in large pirating operations.

(...)

The House of Representatives is expected to take up the measure as early as Saturday.

Since I'm posting this on Sund-- er, I guess now it's Monday, I wonder what became of this in the House...