On Monday, an intellectual-property enforcement bill was signed into law by United States president George W. Bush, the new law being said to alter the government enforcement positions.

The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (PRO-IP) Act has been previously unanimously approved by the Senate on September 30 and will create an Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), who is to become chairman of a committee comprising reps from the Office of Management and Budget, the Department Of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security, among others. The coordinator will be housed within the Executive Office of the President, although the position was initially set to be placed at the DOJ.

Moreover, the bill, which was introduced in December and approved by the House on May 8, will also increase copyright infringement penalties.

Bush’s decision to enact the law has been received with high acclaim by many institutions and companies such as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NBC Universal, the National Music Publishers' Association and the Copyright Alliance, all of which have stated that the measure would support creative and innovative work.

In addition, the PRO-IP Act was hailed as being able to boost the United States’ economy, as well.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has estimated that the nation’s intellectual property is worth more than $5 trillion, accounting for approximately half of the U.S. exports.

Nevertheless, there were some who criticized the bill, including the American Library Association, Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the aforementioned reasoning it would only benefit media companies and not artists.