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Antigua is seeking permission to run a website that sells music, movies and software - but ignores copyright law.
The Caribbean island is due to appear before the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 28 January seeking permission to run the site.
The decision to set up the site is the end point of a long-running dispute with the US over gambling.
The WTO agreed with Antigua and dismissed a US appeal against its ruling. However, because the US took no action to lift the controls on cross-border gambling Antigua filed an application to recoup its lost cash by other means.
It also warned that if Antigua did go ahead with its plan "it would only serve to postpone the final resolution of this matter, to the detriment of Antigua's own interests".
Originally posted by dc4lifeskater
i dont get it.. if you are going to do something illegal, why are you asking permission to do it, why not just do it?
Originally posted by g146541
A "real" pirate asks permission for NOTHING!
I smell something....fishy.
Originally posted by OccamsRazor04
Actually not true. Many pirates were state agents and asked permission to raid.
Originally posted by ArMaP
Originally posted by OccamsRazor04
Actually not true. Many pirates were state agents and asked permission to raid.
Yes, those were the "privateers" or "corsairs", who had a "Letter of Marque and Reprisal" from some country saying that they could attack ships from enemy countries.
More than 2,000 privately-owned warships were authorized during the Revolutionary War to sail against the British.
Many of today's prominent New England Old Money families owe their fortunes to the legalized piracy of the American Revolution.
After years of unsuccessful negotiations between nations, the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body today gave Antigua and Barbuda the right to impose sanctions against the United States for blocking online gambling. The US was found in violation of WTO rules in 2007 and has failed to resolve the issue, so the Caribbean nation was given the right to retaliate in an area that is likely to force a US response – lifting US intellectual property rights.
The amount of sanctions requested by Antigua and Barbuda cannot exceed US$21 million annually. The violation was of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), but as the small country has little to sanction in that area without doing harm to itself, it was permitted to cross-retaliate under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The related WTO documents are WT/DS285/25 and WT/DS285/ARB
Getting the authorization from the WTO to suspend intellectual property rights does not require Antigua to ultimately resort to that suspension, and the Government remains hopeful that the United States will use the intervening period to engage the Antiguan Government in more productive discussions. If and when Antigua does take action against American intellectual property holders, it will be done in accordance with international law and under strict supervision and direction of the Antiguan Government.
"Government-authorised piracy would undermine chances for a settlement," said a spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative's office.
"The United States has urged Antigua to consider solutions that would benefit its broader economy. However, Antigua has repeatedly stymied these negotiations with certain unrealistic demands."
However, its high commissioner in London added that the country reserved the right to carry out its threat. "The highest trade body in the world, having reviewed the merits of Antigua and Barbuda's case and its ability to recover from the negative impact of the USA's unilateral and discriminatory actions, has made its ruling," Carl Roberts told the BBC.