Administration IP Chief Steps Down, Shelanski Named Interim IPEC Head
The administration’s first intellectual property officer, Victoria Espinel, stepped down on Aug. 9, a White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) official confirmed on Aug. 13. The official said the administration appointed Howard Shelanski as acting head of the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), effective Aug. 10. Shelanski will balance that position with his current role as head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). The OMB declined to comment on whether Shelanski’s shared responsibilities present a challenge to either office.
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Rumors circulated in the media on Aug. 12 that suggested BSA The Software Alliance, a software industry advocate, is considering Espinel as the next organization chief. A BSA press official refused to comment on that prospect. Espinel was recently announced as a leader of an interagency effort with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and CBP aimed at improving CBP's process for enforcing IP-related exclusion orders (see 13061916).
The OMB official that confirmed Espinel’s departure highlighted her track record at IPEC, saying law enforcement efforts against IP infringement increased significantly under her tenure. Among a list of achievements, the official said ICE IP cases rose by 71 percent and CBP and ICE seizures of IP infringing imports have risen 53 percent since Espinel was appointed.