[bigboydan]

I hope Antigua gets that permission to suspend copyright protections on American movies, music and software on Friday.

Antigua expects big WTO online gambling win

Friday is a big day for the United States as it awaits the ruling by a World Trade Organization arbitration panel in its dispute with Antigua and Barbuda over online gambling. Friday is also the deadline for negotiations between the United States and the European Union.

Representatives for Antigua and Barbuda told the Guardian Unlimited this week that the nation expects to receive a big damage award when the arbitration panel releases its decision on Friday.

The two-island Caribbean nation is asking for $3.4 billion in damages from the United States for not complying with the WTO's decision that its online gambling ban violates trade agreements. However, the counter offer from the United States was $500,000.

When the two countries couldn't reach a settlement agreement, the issue went to a WTO arbitration panel to be decided.

Antigua is asking permission to suspend copyright protections on American movies, music and software so its manufacturers can export those products to the United States and other markets to make up for the loss in business.

"I think we provided plenty of proof to justify our figure," said Mark Mendel, an attorney representing Antigua and Barbuda, in the Guardian Unlimited article. "We feel pretty confident it should be a high number. I think there's no doubt that we're going to get the ability to cross-retaliate."

After Antigua and Barbuda got its final ruling that the U.S. online gambling laws were still not in compliance with WTO trade rules, the United States chose to change its trade agreements rather than change the laws to allow online gambling.

In doing so, the nation opened itself up to claims from other nations who have interests in the online gambling sector as well.

The European Union has been in negotiations with the United States to come up with an agreeable settlement as well. The deadline for their talks was moved back to Dec. 14.

Gambling companies based in European Union countries have urged the European Union to seek as much as $100 billion in compensation. If an agreement isn't reached by Friday, the European Union could also ask for a WTO arbitration panel to decide the matter.

Nao Matsukata, a senior policy adviser with the law firm Alston & Bird, told the Guardian Unlimited he expects the U.S.-EU compensation talks to drag on past Friday. That also means they could be influenced by the arbitrator's report for the Antigua and Barbuda dispute.

"The Antigua report could clearly advantage one side or another depending on how it comes out," Matsukata said in the article.

Several other nations have stated their intent to file claims as well, including Japan, Canada and Australia.

[SBR_John]

The US offers $500,000??? Thats really quite insulting. Antigua's legal fees are probably 10x that.

I'm on record saying it will be around $900 mil. Thats probably way high. We will know soon.

[isetcap]

I have a feeling the US is going to get smacked on this one. Looking for the arbitration to come in much closer to 3 billion than 500k. After that, they get to fight a losing battle with the EU. This is what happens when politicians classify common secular activities as moral impropriety and create laws with limited discussion or research as to the ramifications of such decisions.

500k is simply a joke. They're going to be made to look like complete clowns when the panel submits their review.

[ShamsWoof10]

This sounds like a lot of smoke...

[curious]

i wish we had leaders with a backbone who told Antigua that if they ignored US copyrights, trademarks, and patents that the US marines would come and "explain" those laws to them. And, in the same press conference told the WTO to go **** off.

[CrazyL]

This professor really makes this US congressman look stupid, when he tries to compare online gambling to cocaine and vital issues of national security. fast forward to around 1:10 it gets pretty good

[20Four7]

Originally Posted by curious

i wish we had leaders with a backbone who told Antigua that if they ignored US copyrights, trademarks, and patents that the US marines would come and "explain" those laws to them. And, in the same press conference told the WTO to go **** off.

I see you want to use the same "explaination" as your trying in Iraq. Wow the american mentality is unbelieveable sometimes. All these organizations are great when they back America but when America doesn't like it they are a piece of shit.

[curious]

Originally Posted by 20Four7

I see you want to use the same "explaination" as your trying in Iraq. Wow the american mentality is unbelieveable sometimes. All these organizations are great when they back America but when America doesn't like it they are a piece of shit.

So copyrights, trademarks and patents should be so much worthless pieces of paper? A little pissant country is threatening to steal from us and our so called leaders do nothing about it?

I detest the WTO and the UN and any of a dozen "global" organizations.

So go peddle your America bashing somewhere else mother ****er.

[Santo]

There's so much wrong with curious's positions it's hard to know where to start arguing them.

[curious]

Originally Posted by Santo

There's so much wrong with curious's positions it's hard to know where to start arguing them.

So, stealing copyrighted, trademarked, and patented property is okay in your book?

And, a country threatening to do that if they don't get a favorable ruling is okay in your book?

Give me a ****ing break.

[dwaechte]

Originally Posted by Santo

There's so much wrong with curious's positions it's hard to know where to start arguing them.

I'll second this statement.

[JC]

Curious,

This is not about might makes right. It's the US here that is not following the rule of law. The point of the WTO was to get away from retaliation, counter retaliation, and any hostilities that followed in the past.

The US signed the GATS. The US gets more out of the WTO than any other country. Nobody forced the US to join the WTO, nobody is forcing them to stay in it.

Since the US is not in compliance, the WTO is empowered to levy sanctions, both the dollar amount and type. Since traditional tariffs would hurt Antiguans more than the US, they are entitled to seek alternative relief.

The WTO governs the TRIPS Treaty which covers intelllectual property. So, if the WTO panel grants Antigua permission to sell US based intellectual property, they are not violating any international law.

Sanctions are not intended to be punative, but leverage to bring the violating country into compliance. The US expects every other country to come into compliance when they lose a WTO case. Why shouldn't they?

It would be very simple for the US to come into compliance, they just don't want to.

[JC]

Originally Posted by curious

So, stealing copyrighted, trademarked, and patented property is okay in your book?

And, a country threatening to do that if they don't get a favorable ruling is okay in your book?

Give me a ****ing break.

Antigua did get a favorable ruling. That's why they are about to be granted the sanctions.

You are the one who wants the losing party, the US, to make threats because the United States did not get a favorable ruling.

[Thremp]

Isn't the US hesitant to lose its copyrights etc as recourse due to the scuffle with the Chinese over this same issue?

[curious]

Originally Posted by JC

Antigua did get a favorable ruling. That's why they are about to be granted the sanctions.

You are the one who wants the losing party, the US, to make threats because the United States did not get a favorable ruling.

No, I don't want US intellectual property to be stolen blatantly and our so called leaders do nothing about it. Pretty simple actually. If a country cannot protect their copyrights, trademarks, and patents, then their economy is soon headed for ruin. This is a matter of national security and their should be no tolerance whatsoever for this kind of shit.

Yes, I do say back up our refusal to allow other countries rob us so blatantly with force, absolutely.


I detest the WTO and the UN and I think the united states should get out of them as soon as possible.

[curious]

Originally Posted by Thremp

Isn't the US hesitant to lose its copyrights etc as recourse due to the scuffle with the Chinese over this same issue?

We should be cutting off all trade with China over the copyright/trademark/patent issue. And any other country that steals from us.