EFF Criticizes, DHS Praises IPEC's IP Enforcement Plan

The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator’s strategic plan for IP rights enforcement for FY 2017-19, while Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said he’s “pleased” to implement it. IPEC’s plan, released Monday, urged improving citizens' understanding of the impacts of IP rights infringement and enhancing the domestic strategy for enforcing IP rights. Goals also include minimizing IP-infringing activity online and facilitating lawful trade activities (see 1612120062). The plan “seems to put the weight of the federal government behind these shadow regulations,” EFF senior staff attorney Mitch Stoltz said in a Wednesday blog post. “The plan gives lip service to transparency, good research, and respect for freedom of speech. Unfortunately, the plan also praises and encourages the negotiation of private agreements between Internet companies that fail to uphold those same values.” The document does contain “a strong statement about the importance of limitations on copyright (as well as trademark and patent rights),” Stoltz said. “But neither a shout-out to fair use nor the talisman of ‘multistakeholder’ policymaking are enough to protect Internet users against censorship, nor to give them a voice in the functioning of the Internet.” DHS supports the IPEC strategy and will “advance policy initiatives necessary to strengthen IP enforcement,” Johnson said Tuesday in a statement.