The US-based anti-piracy battle has so many chapters ahead, and the appointment of 'IP czar' Victoria Espinel is just the beginning.  On Tuesday afternoon, Vice President Joe Biden hosted a roundtable to discuss the administration's ongoing anti-piracy strategy, and details are just starting to emerge.  The meeting was a collection of 'big dogs,' according to one 'Inside-the-Beltway' insider, and the attendee list included Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, FBI Director Robert Mueller, and US Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan. 

That was just the beginning, as top CEOs from a swath of major media companies (studios, television, book publishing, newspaper, music) were also on deck.  On the music side, the cast included Edgar Bronfman, CEO, Warner Music Group; Linda Bloss-Baum, Vice President, Warner Music Group; Zachary Horowitz, President & COO, Universal Music Group; Matthew Gerson, Executive Vice President, Universal Music Group; Mitch Bainwol, Chairman & CEO, RIAA; David Israelite, President & CEO, NMPA; and Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, National Executive Director, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).  The 'other side,' including technology, ISP, and consumer representatives, were not invited.

So what was discussed?  One insider characterized the meeting as 'introductory in nature,' while noting that 'enough big dogs were present' to stir some serious action.  But Biden clearly took the side of media holders, pointing to a problem with 'flat unadulterated theft' that 'should be dealt with,' while calling for the Justice Department to coordinate anti-piracy efforts at a local level.  Additionally, Attorney General Eric Holder called for an international meeting to discuss the issue, a stance that makes sense given the borderless nature of file-sharing technologies.

Perhaps all of this is too late for the recording industry, though Hollywood is just starting to get energized.  "Once Hollywood gets freaked out, this whole thing goes to another level," another executive relayed.  Perhaps that moment has already arrived.

The complete attendee list:

• Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States

• Eric Holder, United States Attorney General

• Gary Locke, United States Secretary of Commerce

• Janet Napolitano, United States Secretary of Homeland Security

• Robert S. Mueller, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation

• John T. Morton, Assistant Secretary, United States Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security

• David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director, United States Patent & Trademark Office

• Douglas A. Smith, Assistant Secretary, Office of the Private Sector, Department of Homeland Security

• Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement, The White House

• Mark J. Sullivan, Director, United States Secret Service

• Michael Lynton, Chairman & CEO, Sony Pictures Entertainment

• Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. Entertainment

• Carol Melton, Executive Vice President, Time Warner Inc.

• Philippe Dauman, Chairman & CEO, Viacom

• DeDe Lea, Executive Vice President, Viacom

• Jeffrey Zucker, CEO, NBC Universal

• Rick Cotton, General Counsel, NBC Universal

• Alec French, Vice President, NCB Universal

• Edgar Bronfman, CEO, Warner Music Group

• Linda Bloss-Baum, Vice President, Warner Music Group

• Brian Murray, President & CEO, Harper Collins

• Zachary Horowitz, President & COO, Universal Music Group

• Matthew Gerson, Executive Vice President, Universal Music Group

• Michael Regan, Executive Vice President, News Corporation

• Richard Bates, Senior Vice President, The Walt Disney Company

• Toni Bush, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

• Daniel Glickman, Chairman & CEO, Motion Picture Association of America

• Mitch Bainwol, Chairman & CEO, Recording Industry Association of America

• Matthew Loeb, International President, The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States

• Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, National Executive Director, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

• Taylor Hackford, President, Directors Guild of America

• Jay Roth, National Executive Director, Directors Guild of America

• David Israelite, President & CEO, National Music Publishers’ Association

• David White, National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator, Screen Actors Guild

• Alan Hoffman, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President

• Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Office of Management & Budget

• Terrell McSweeny, Domestic Policy Advisor, Office of the Vice President

• Andrew Kline, Senior Advisor for Crime Policy, Office of the Vice President

• Susan Davies, Associate Counsel to the President

• James Garland, Counselor to the Attorney General and Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Justice