Intellectual property bill passes in the House
Legislation, which would create an "IP coordinator" in the White House, now awaits the president's signature after receiving bipartisan support in Congress.
The House of Representatives on Sunday cleared the intellectual property enforcement bill that would create an "IP coordinator" position in the White House.
The legislation, formally known as the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act, or Pro-IP, passed unanimously in the Senate on Friday.
The Bush administration last week sent a letter to Congress stating its opposition to certain measures, including the creation of an IP coordinator. It is unclear whether the administration supports the bill as it was passed.
The bipartisan legislation passed in the House 341-41, with dissenters on both sides of the aisle. The measure has received wide support from the business community, including from groups like the Recording Industry Association of America and the AFL-CIO, but it is opposed by public interest groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Knowledge.