Stream of Consciousness

Lamar Smith resurrects SOPA as Intellectual Property Attaché Act | Death and Taxes

The act would expand the placement of intellectual property attachés (political operatives, basically) in US embassies around the globe, most likely to strategically influence foreign legislation governing intellectual property. The idea here being that the attaches might convince governments to adopt SOPA-like legislation, which will then make it easier to do so here in the US.

Sec. 2. (g) also empowers the Intellectual Property Attache Program to get involved in countries that are “not identified under section 182(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974.” And it empowers attaché to act essentially as agents of corporate copyright interests, not in the general interest of the American people.

IPAA is also notable for defining any “corporation, partnership, other business entity, or other organization” as a “United States Person.”