[JURIST] US President George W. Bush Monday signed into law [WH press release] a bill that will provide for additional intellectual property (IP) rights enforcement resources and stronger penalties for violators of those rights. The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 [PDF text; LOC materials], allows for three times the assessed damages to be awarded against those who counterfeit protected goods, strengthens criminal laws relating to IP infringement, and allows the government broad authority to seize any materials or goods relating to infringement investigations. It also provides additional funding for investigations into alleged infringement and creates a position for an Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, a presidential appointee who would coordinate IP investigations among government agencies. The Recording Industry Association of America [trade website] had strongly supported [press release] the bill, saying that it will help protect the interest of copyright holders. Advocacy group Public Knowledge [advocacy website] has criticized [press release] the bill, saying that it will exacerbate problems with existing US IP laws which put too many restrictions on the use of what should be public information. Reuters has more. Out-Law has additional coverage.

Other countries are also increasing efforts to expand the scope of protected intellectual property, largely in response to US concerns. In July Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice [official profile] introduced new federal copyright legislation [press release, JURIST report] designed to strengthen penalties against infringement. In February, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), released a report [text, PDF] asserting that China, Russia and Canada are the main violators of US copyright law [JURIST report]. IIPA and US officials have described Canadian copyright law as the most lax among the G7 nations.