Antigua May Be Allowed To Violate US Copyrights

Skleed refers us to the NYTimes for an article on the high-stakes case the US is losing before the World Trade Organization. So far the US has lost an initial hearing and two appeals on its policies regarding Antiguan offshore gambling sites. Now the lawyer pressing the case has asked for a rarely invoked, but codified, recourse under WTO rules: letting Antiguans copy and distribute American music, movies, and software. The game may be to get Hollywood and Microsoft, et al., to pressure Washington to cut a deal. But their influence may not be sufficient to move lawmakers on the question of online gambling. From the article: "But not complying with the decision presents big problems of its own for Washington. That's because Mr. Mendel, who is claiming $3.4 billion in damages on behalf of Antigua, has asked the trade organization to grant a rare form of compensation if the American government refuses to accept the ruling: permission for Antiguans to violate intellectual property laws by allowing them to distribute copies of American music, movie and software products, among others."

Comments

Re:Allofmp3 mark II is coming

[arivanov]

Nope it is not.

It will be the same as with the International War Crime court. When USA does not like an international law in their favour they go around and get themselves exempted from it on a per-country basis. If this will really happen, they will simply make sure that there is no market for AllOfMP3 Mark 2 or any other similar outfit. They will pressure all countries with large potential customer markets not to trade with Antigua.

This will not give Antigua a chance to recoup its losses or pressure the USA into fixing the relevant part of the Sharia law passed by the council of elders on Capitol Hill.