The Knowledge Police

Abstract

This article provides an in depth analysis and critique of the Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator’s (IPEC’s) efforts to date. This is an important subject since the IPEC has, under the Pro-IP Act, a mandate to serve as an effective interagency coordinator and strategic advisor to the Legislature and the President in all areas related to intellectual property enforcement. Intellectual property enforcement has risen to the highest levels of policymaking, and national public discourse. As discussed in this article, the IPEC has failed to adequately coordinate the various federal agencies that have overlapping authority in this area. The main reasons for this failure are the IPEC’s lack of strategic planning, which prevent it from prioritizing resources and activities among agencies and the inability to integrate patents as a key enforcement issue. Another important issue is the confusion between the roles of the IPEC and the IPR Center, which seems to be in some cases a more effective coordination vehicle than the IPEC. Policymakers, legislators and oversight bodies may view these findings as a helpful aid to promote greater accountability and effective management within the IPEC.