On September 29, 1999, President William J. Clinton signed into law the Treasury/Postal Appropriations Bill, Public Law No. 106-58, section 633, which created the National Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordination Council (NIPLECC). NIPLECC is an interagency group responsible for coordinating the US' domestic and international intellectual property enforcement activities. NIPLECC includes as one of its co-chairs, the Director of the USPTO. Other members include the Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, also co-chair, the Undersecretary of State for Economics, Business and Agricultural Affairs, the Deputy United States Trade Representative, the Commissioner of Customs and the Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

During 2000, the USPTO played an important role in working with the other US government agencies to define NIPLECC's mission and to identify challenging IP enforcement issues, including combating internet infringement, that NIPLECC could partner with industry and rights holders to address. In order to better coordinate with the public, NIPLECC sought comments from the public on issues associated with its mission. Specifically, NIPLECC sought written comment from the public, asking them what they thought the mission of the council should be, and, in November 2000, convened a public meeting to discuss the matters more fully. As a result of this meeting, which was of enormous help to the council, NIPLECC members were much better able to determine what industry would like to see the council do with regard to IP enforcement activities. NIPLECC is required to report annually on its coordination activities to the President and to the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees of the US House and Senate.

The Council is directed to consult with the Register of Copyrights on law enforcement matters relating to copyright and related rights and matters.

< Back to Global/International page << NIPLECC

KEY: =online business system =fees =forms=help =laws/regulations =definition (glossary)

Is there a question about what the USPTO can or cannot do that you cannot find an answer for? Send questions about USPTO programs and services to the USPTO Contact Center (UCC). You can suggest USPTO webpages or material you would like featured on this section by E-mail to the webmaster@uspto.gov. While we cannot promise to accommodate all requests, your suggestions will be considered and may lead to other improvements on the website.