IP Stakeholders Praise USTR Nominee
President-elect Barack Obama's pick of former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk for his U.S. Trade Representative slot on Friday was embraced by key intellectual property stakeholders as it was being panned by many in the labor community. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Mark Esper wrote on the business group's blog that Kirk has a solid track record of appreciating the value of America's IP-intensive industries and quoted from a 1998 Dallas Morning News article to make his point.
As mayor of Dallas, Kirk praised a plan to bring more biotechnology companies into the city calling it "an opportunity to develop an entire new economy based upon intellectual property that we already have principally coming from Southwestern Medical Center and our entire medical infrastructure.'" The plan, which developed a long-term vision for the city's future, was aimed at making Dallas a national hub for inventions. Esper noted that the next USTR will face a host of important IP issues and the Chamber is prepared to work with Kirk "in defense of innovation at home and abroad."
Meanwhile, Motion Picture Association of America Chairman Dan Glickman issued a statement congratulating Kirk, saying he "has the leadership skills and experience to forge a successful trade agenda." "Trade and related issues are crucial to the vitality of the film industry and paramount to the recovery of the global economy... We look forward to working with him," Glickman said.
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