Will Obama's copyright czar help save the music?

In January, President Obama will appoint a copyright czar. That position -- officially known by the less glamorous-sounding title of intellectual property enforcement coordinator -- was created by the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act, signed in mid-October. The law is aimed at coordinating the anti-piracy efforts of such disparate agencies as the Department of Justice, the Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Trade Representative. Who might be appointed? 1) Hal Ponder, director of government relations at the American Federation of Musicians and the former director of policy for the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees. 2) Michele Ballantyne, senior VP of federal government and industry relations for the Recording Industry Assn. of America, the trade group for the major U.S. labels. 3) George Mason law professor Victoria Espinel, who held several positions in the U.S. Trade Representative's office. 4) Bill Ivey, former head of the Country Music Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Academy. He's currently at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, but he's working with Obama's transition team on cultural agency appointments.