(2009-01-07) Obama Pro Riaa Appointments

As president-elect, one of Barack Obama's first tech-related decisions has been to select the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) favorite lawyer to be the third in command at the Justice Department. And Obama's pick as deputy Attorney General, the second most senior position, is the lawyer who oversaw the defense of the Copyright Term Extension Act--the same law that Larry Lessig and his allies unsuccessfully sued to overturn (and COPA too) ... The soon-to-be-appointees: Tom Perrelli for associate attorney general and David Ogden for deputy attorney general.

Apr22: Joe Biden continues his pro-HollyWood orientation. He also addressed President Obama's forthcoming decision about who will be named the Intellectual Property enforcement coordinator, better known as the copyright czar. Copyright industry lobbyists sent a letter Monday to the president asking him to pick someone sympathetic to their concerns, while groups that would curb copyright law sent their own letter urging the opposite approach.