“President Bush on Monday signed into law legislation creating a copyright czar, a cabinet-level position on par with the nation’s drug czar. Two weeks ago, the House sent the president the ‘Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act,’ a measure the Senate approved days before creating a cabinet-level copyright czar charged with implementing a nationwide plan to combat piracy and “report directly to the president and Congress regarding domestic international intellectual property enforcement programs.’ The White House successfully lobbied the Senate to remove language tasking the Department of Justice with suing copyright and trademark infringers on behalf of Hollywood, the recording industry, manufacturers and software makers.” [editor’s note: My fellow songwriters who have agitated for better copyright protection might cheer this … until they see what a horror it becomes - SAT] (10/13/08)