[wplug] What is this World Intellectual Property Concept that RMS is pushing?

Zachary Uram netrek at gmail.com
Wed Apr 6 08:32:59 EDT 2005


On Apr 6, 2005 8:14 AM, John Harrold <jmh17 at pitt.edu> wrote:
> 
> Incentives are provided to get countries to agree to them. For example,
> India wanted to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), for
> various reasons. In order for India to become a member of the WTO, India
> had to agree to enforce, among other things, pharmaceutical patents.  If
> India fails to enforce these patents, the pharmaceutical lobby will
> complain to the US government. The US government will file a complaint with
> the WTO and sanctions will likely be put in place (this process could take
> years). Their goods will be taxed upon entry into the US and other
> countries until they begin enforcing the copyrights and patents.

I see. If a judgement was found against a plaintif would the damages
by calculated retroactively to point that suit was first filed? If it
takes years of legal wrangling I imagine this calculation could
significantly effect the compensation.

> This happens both ways. We were subsidizing our steel industry for years
> until a complaint was filed with the WTO and eventually Bush got rid of the
> steel subsidies. More recently, our beef markets have been shut off from
> Canada and other countries --- mad cow disease being the reason given.
> Canada and a few others pushed something through the WTO and they are going
> to begin to tax US imports into their country in order to recoup the lost
> revenue. At least that is how I understand it.

Ya, I read that we are also trying to exert pressure on Japan to lift
ban on our beef imports. I think if we agreed to test every animal
this would placate Canada/Japan. So we don't do this because it is
cost prohibitive or because the cattle lobby blocks it?

Zach


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