The Intellectual Property Attache Act (IPAA) was unveiled by U.S. Representative

Lamar S. Smith Lamar Seeligson Smith (born November 19, 1947) is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States House of Representatives for for 16 terms, a district including most of the wealthier sections of San Antonio and Austin, as ...

on July 9, 2012. This act was a section of the previously unsuccessful Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which did not pass its markup by the

House Judiciary Committee The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...

."SOPA online piracy bill markup postponed" The Washington Post Retrieved Feb. 11 2013.
/ref> The bill's aim was to increase the presence of intellectual property attaches around the world."Lamar Smith Looking To Sneak Through SOPA In Bits & Pieces, Starting With Expanding Hollywood's Global Police Force" Techdirt Retrieved Feb. 11 2013.
/ref> These attaches would play the role of intellectual property "diplomats" for the United States, encouraging other countries to enforce copyright laws. The attaches, currently linked to the US Patent and Trademark Office, would be set up in the Commerce Department.

References

United States intellectual property law {{Statute-stub