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

A future windows update

[ILuvRamen]

So Microsoft puts out in a new service pack for XP and Vista with some unstoppable dug in processes that detects if you're on an antiguan IP address and shuts off your computer. No more internet equipped PCs running microsoft OS's for them. What's the big deal? No more windows for Antigua in general. Maybe that will teach them to try and steal stuff legally as if software makers would just put up with it.

Re:China

[Beyond_GoodandEvil]

I'd love to see China put some serious fiscal hurt on us, as we'd deserve every bit of it.
Instead of making assine statements on the internet, perhaps you would be better served ending your life, quickly and in a carbon neutral way.

Re:Allofmp3 mark II is coming

[jedidiah]

No, this is more like the Opium Wars. Except this time the US is playing the part of China.