By Barney Dixon
Vishal Amin has been unanimously approved as White House intellectual property enforcement coordinator (IPEC) by the Senate judiciary committee.
US President Donald Trump nominated Amin earlier this year, who has left his post as senior counsel on the House of Representatives judiciary committee. The full Senate must confirm Amin before he can take up the role.
Amin previously worked as associate director for domestic policy under the administration of George W Bush.
In a statement on the new appointment, the US Chamber of Commerce said that IP industries have a “much greater influence on our economy than most Americans probably realise”.
But it identified that the US is slipping with regard to enforcement and protection of IP, with its overall score on the US Chamber International IP Index dropping for the first time in the index’s history.
In his confirmation hearing, Amin highlighted the economic importance of IP and its protection in the US. He said: “IP underpins nearly every aspect of our economy—it supports good paying jobs, it supports the arts, sciences, and technology, and it creates a framework that allows new industries and innovations to flourish.”
“We are at a defining moment in this new century, and it is imperative for us to advance pro-growth policies to protect our nation's continued economic and innovative competitiveness [and] promote new engines of growth."
The Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) welcomed Amin’s confirmation and thanked the Trump administration and Senate judiciary committee for moving the nomination.
IPI president Tom Giovanetti said: “We trust Amin’s confirmation can move in a prompt, bipartisan fashion through the full US Senate to ensure the important work of defending America’s IP protection regime is not delayed.”
“Property rights, including IP rights, are the foundation of a functioning market economy,” said Giovanetti, “and in an information economy, IP rights are both more important than ever and also under greater threat than ever before.”
In April, Trump issued an executive order that included a provision to implement strategies to address the influx of illegal counterfeit goods into the US.
The executive order specifically requires US Customs and Border Protection to share more information about imported fake goods with rights holders.