Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§8111 Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 107— - PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - COORDINATION AND STRATEGIC PLANNING OF FEDERAL EFFORT AGAINST COUNTERFEITING AND INFRINGEMENT › § 8111

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must pick someone called the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), and the Senate must confirm that pick. If the President sends a nomination, the Senate must send it to the Judiciary Committee. The IPEC must lead an interagency advisory committee and help create and carry out a Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement. The IPEC can give policy guidance, report to the President and to Congress about U.S. intellectual property enforcement at home and abroad, report on how the plan is being carried out, suggest improvements to laws or enforcement, and do other tasks the President asks. The IPEC cannot order or control any law enforcement agency in investigations or prosecutions. The advisory committee is chaired by the IPEC and includes Senate-confirmed leaders from agencies involved in enforcement (for example, OMB; Justice including the FBI; Commerce and the Patent and Trademark Office; Trade; State and USAID; Homeland Security including Customs and ICE; FDA; Agriculture; and any other relevant agencies), plus the Register of Copyrights or a senior Copyright Office representative. The committee must develop the Joint Strategic Plan.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §8111

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (in this subchapter referred to as the “IPEC”) to serve within the Executive Office of the President. As an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate, any nomination of the IPEC submitted to the Senate for confirmation, and referred to a committee, shall be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
(b)(1)The IPEC shall—
(A)chair the interagency intellectual property enforcement advisory committee established under subsection (b)(3)(A);
(B)coordinate the development of the Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement by the advisory committee under section 8113 of this title;
(C)assist, at the request of the departments and agencies listed in subsection (b)(3)(A), in the implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan;
(D)facilitate the issuance of policy guidance to departments and agencies on basic issues of policy and interpretation, to the extent necessary to assure the coordination of intellectual property enforcement policy and consistency with other law;
(E)report to the President and report to Congress, to the extent consistent with law, regarding domestic and international intellectual property enforcement programs;
(F)report to Congress, as provided in section 8114 of this title, on the implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan, and make recommendations, if any and as appropriate, to Congress for improvements in Federal intellectual property laws and enforcement efforts; and
(G)carry out such other functions as the President may direct.
(2)The IPEC may not control or direct any law enforcement agency, including the Department of Justice, in the exercise of its investigative or prosecutorial authority.
(3)(A)There is established an interagency intellectual property enforcement advisory committee composed of the IPEC, who shall chair the committee, and the following members:
(i)Senate-confirmed representatives of the following departments and agencies who are involved in intellectual property enforcement, and who are, or are appointed by, the respective heads of those departments and agencies:
(I)The Office of Management and Budget.
(II)Relevant units within the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Division.
(III)The United States Patent and Trademark Office and other relevant units of the Department of Commerce.
(IV)The Office of the United States Trade Representative.
(V)The Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Bureau of International Narcotics Law Enforcement.
(VI)The Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Border Protection, and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
(VII)The Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.
(VIII)The Department of Agriculture.
(IX)Any such other agencies as the President determines to be substantially involved in the efforts of the Federal Government to combat counterfeiting and infringement.
(ii)The Register of Copyrights, or a senior representative of the United States Copyright Office appointed by the Register of Copyrights.
(B)The advisory committee established under subparagraph (A) shall develop the Joint Strategic Plan against counterfeiting and infringement under section 8113 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this title”, meaning title III of Pub. L. 110–403, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4264, which is classified principally to this subchapter. For complete classification of title III to the Code, see Tables.

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 13565. Establishment of the Intellectual Property

Enforcement

Advisory Committees Ex. Ord. No. 13565, Feb. 8, 2011, 76 F.R. 7681, provided: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including title III of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–403) (15 U.S.C. 8111–8116) (the “PRO IP Act”), and in order to strengthen the efforts of the Federal Government to encourage innovation through the effective and efficient

Enforcement

of laws protecting copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other forms of intellectual property, both in the United States and abroad, including matters relating to combating infringement, and thereby support efforts to reinvigorate the Nation’s global competitiveness, accelerate export growth, promote job creation, and reduce threats posed to national security and to public health and safety, it is hereby ordered as follows: section 1. Senior Intellectual Property

Enforcement

Advisory Committee. (a) Establishment of Committee. There is established an interagency Senior Intellectual Property

Enforcement

Advisory Committee (Senior Advisory Committee), which shall be chaired by the Intellectual Property

Enforcement

Coordinator (Coordinator), Executive Office of the President. (b) Membership. The Senior Advisory Committee shall be composed of the Coordinator, who shall chair it, and the heads of, or the deputies to the heads of: (i) the Department of State; (ii) the Department of the Treasury; (iii) the Department of Justice; (iv) the Department of Agriculture; (v) the Department of Commerce; (vi) the Department of Health and Human Services; (vii) the Department of Homeland Security; (viii) the Office of Management and Budget; and (ix) the Office of the United States Trade Representative. A member of the Senior Advisory Committee may, in consultation with the Coordinator, designate a senior-level official from the member’s department or agency who holds a position for which Senate confirmation is required to perform the Senior Advisory Committee functions of the member. (c) Mission and Functions. Consistent with the authorities assigned to the Coordinator, and other applicable law, the Senior Advisory Committee shall advise the Coordinator and facilitate the formation and implementation of each Joint Strategic Plan required every 3 years under title III of the PRO IP Act (15 U.S.C. 8113), consistent with this order. (d) Administration. The Coordinator shall coordinate and support the work of the Senior Advisory Committee in fulfilling its functions under this order. The Coordinator shall convene the first meeting of the Senior Advisory Committee within 90 days of the date of this order and shall thereafter convene such meetings as appropriate. Sec. 2. Intellectual Property

Enforcement

Advisory Committee. (a) Establishment of Committee. There is established an interagency Intellectual Property

Enforcement

Advisory Committee (

Enforcement

Advisory Committee), which shall be chaired by the Coordinator. The

Enforcement

Advisory Committee shall serve as the committee established by section 301(b)(3) of the PRO IP Act (15 U.S.C. 8111(b)(3)). (b) Membership. The

Enforcement

Advisory Committee shall be composed of the Coordinator, who shall chair it, and representatives from the following departments and agencies, or units of departments and agencies, who hold a position for which Senate confirmation is required, who are involved in intellectual property

Enforcement

, and who are, or are designated by, the respective heads of those departments and agencies: (i) the Office of Management and Budget; (ii) relevant units within the Department of Justice, including the Criminal Division, the Civil Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (iii) the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the International Trade Administration, and other relevant units of the Department of Commerce; (iv) the Office of the United States Trade Representative; (v) the Department of State, the Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, the United States Agency for International Development and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law

Enforcement

Affairs; (vi) the Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Border Protection, and United States Immigration and Customs

Enforcement

(vii) the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services; (viii) the Department of Agriculture; (ix) the Department of the Treasury; and (x) such other executive branch departments, agencies, or offices as the President determines to be substantially involved in the efforts of the Federal Government to combat counterfeiting and infringement. Pursuant to the PRO IP Act (15 U.S.C. 8111), the Coordinator shall also invite the Register of Copyrights, or a senior representative of the United States Copyright Office designated by the Register of Copyrights, to serve as a member of the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee. (c) Mission and Functions. (i) Consistent with the authorities assigned to the Coordinator and the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee, and other applicable law, the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee shall develop each Joint Strategic Plan as provided for in title III of the PRO IP Act. In the development and implementation of the Joint Strategic Plan, the heads of the departments and agencies identified in section 2(b) of this order shall share with the Coordinator and the other members of the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee relevant department or agency information, to the extent permitted by law, including requirements relating to confidentiality and privacy, and to the extent that such sharing of information is consistent with law

Enforcement

protocols for handling such information. Such information shall include: (A) plans for addressing the Joint Strategic Plan; (B) statistical information on the

Enforcement

activities taken by that department or agency against counterfeiting or infringement; and (C) recommendations to enhance cooperation among Federal, State, and local authorities responsible for intellectual property

Enforcement

. (ii) The Coordinator may establish subgroups, consisting exclusively of

Enforcement

Advisory Committee members or their designees, who must be officials from the designating member’s department or agency, to support the functions of the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee. The subgroups shall be chaired by the Coordinator, or the Coordinator’s designee with expertise and experience in intellectual property

Enforcement

matters, and may include: (A) an

Enforcement

Subcommittee; and (B) other subcommittees as the Coordinator deems appropriate, including subcommittees addressing particular

Enforcement

issues, efforts, training, and information sharing among departments and agencies. (d) Administration. The Coordinator shall coordinate and support the work of the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee in fulfilling its functions under this order and under section 301(b)(3)(B) of the PRO IP Act (15 U.S.C. 8111(b)(3)(B)). The Coordinator shall convene meetings of the

Enforcement

Advisory Committee as appropriate. Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the: (i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof, or the status of that department or agency within the Federal Government; or (ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. Consistent with section 301(b)(2) of the PRO IP Act (15 U.S.C. 8111(b)(2)), the Coordinator may not control or direct any Federal law

Enforcement

agency in the exercise of its investigative or prosecutorial authority. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Barack Obama.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 8111

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73