Digital Commons Network^™

Testing For Consistency: Certain Digital Tax Measures And Wto Non-Discrimination, Okanga Ogbu Okanga

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Few issues have challenged tax policymakers and commentators as much as digital taxation has in recent years. Ongoing efforts to reconstruct the rules of international tax to “properly” govern the taxation of the global digital economy have evoked some important tax and trade related considerations. As regards the latter, unilateral attempts by various states – partly spurred on by a lack of multilateral consensus – to tax nonresident digitalized businesses threaten to disrupt international trade relations, with threats of trade war exchanged between some World Trade Organization (WTO) member states over the propriety of the proposed tax measures. As the …

Artificial Intelligence And Trade, Anupam Chander

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Artificial Intelligence is already powering trade today. It is crossing borders, learning, making decisions, and operating cyber-physical systems. It underlies many of the services that are offered today – from customer service chatbots to customer relations software to business processes. The chapter considers AI regulation from the perspective of international trade law. It argues that foreign AI should be regulated by governments – indeed that AI must be ‘locally responsible’. The chapter refutes arguments that trade law should not apply to AI and shows how the WTO agreements might apply to AI using two hypothetical cases . The analysis reveals …

Right To Health In Gats: Can The Public Health Exception Pave The Way For Complementarity?, Swati Gola

Pace International Law Review

This paper demonstrates how a right to health approach in the interpretation of the public health exception outlined in GATS Article XIV(b) can bring about a harmonious application of international human rights and international trade law regimes. Focusing on the interpretive value of the right to health for the public health exception in GATS, it examines whether a WTO Member, who has committed itself under GATS to fully liberalize all service sectors that have implications for health (e.g., hospital and other healthcare services), still retains the regulatory space to undertake measures to fulfill their right to health obligations and can …

Transportation, Cooperation And Harmonization: Gats As A Gateway To Integrating The Un Seaborne Cargo Regimes Into The Wto, Lijun Zhao

Pace International Law Review

This paper seeks to analyze how the World Trade Organization (WTO) may cooperate with the United Nations (UN) to unify sea-borne cargo regimes. Beginning with the current dilemma of uni-form maritime transport regime, the paper explores the relation-ship between the UN and the WTO. In light of the successful precedent of the incorporation of the UN intellectual property re-gime into the WTO, this paper probes into the feasibility that the UN and the WTO may interactively unify a maritime transport regime by reference to selected previous treaties, which include UN-administrated treaties. This paper argues the WTO-based sea transport negotiations do …

Globalization In Financial Services - What Role For Gats?, Chantal Thomas

Chantal Thomas

No abstract provided.

Mastering A Two-Edged Sword: Lessons From The Rules And Litigation On Safeguards In The World Trade Organization, Julien Chaisse, Debashis Chakraborty, Animesh Kumar

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Moving All-In With The World Trade Organization: Ignoring Adverse Rulings And Gambling With The Future Of The Wto, Paul Rothstein

Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law

No abstract provided.

The Depth Of The Trade In Services Agreement, Harold Godsoe

Harold Godsoe

The setting against which plurilateral negotiations toward a new Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) are taking place is frustration. Service liberalization from GATS to bilateral PTAs to the Doha round have proven difficult and/or ineffective. The glaring and unexamined question is: why? This paper examines the current trade literature for what is known about TISA to date and subjects that information to a feasibility analysis for trade in service agreements. My goal is to understand what went wrong in previous attempts to liberalize services and/or trade and, consequently, what might being going wrong in TISA, and how it might be …

Legal Services In The United States, Laurel S. Terry, Erica Moeser

Laurel S. Terry

The Revised Handbook About The Gats General Agreement On Trade In Services For International Bar Association Member Bars, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

Legal Services In India: Is There An Obligation Under The Gats Or Are There Policy Reasons For India To Open Its Legal Services Market To Foreign Legal Consultants?, Arno L. Eisen

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

International Initiatives That Facilitate Global Mobility In Higher Education, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article identifies a number of international initiatives that have contributed to, reflect, or facilitate global higher education mobility. The article begins by presenting statistics about global higher education mobility. The sections that follow address a number of “hard law” and “soft law” international initiatives that promote such mobility. The initiatives discussed in the article include, inter alia, European Union initiatives, the Bologna Process which led to the creation of the European Higher Education Area, and higher education initiatives of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and …

From Gats To Apec: The Impact Of Trade Agreements On Legal Services, Laurel S. Terry

Journal Articles

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the treatment of legal services in the United States’ international trade agreements. Although many individuals are now familiar with the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), far fewer realize that legal services are included in at least fifteen international trade agreements to which the United States is a party. This article begins by identifying those trade agreements and other developments including the 2009 Legal Services Initiative of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The article continues by explaining the structure of the GATS and comparing its provisions to the provisions found in …

Stretching The Dispute Settlement Understanding: U.S.—Cotton’S Relaxed Interpretation Of Cross-Retaliation In The World Trade Organization, David J. Townsend

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

In August 2009, the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) au-thorized Brazil to impose sanctions against the United States for its continued subsidization of cotton producers in violation of the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (“SCM Agreement”) and the Agreement on Agriculture. The WTO approved Brazil’s use of sanctions outside the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (“GATT”), authorizing cross-retaliation against rights owed to the United States under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (“TRIPS”). This is the third case of cross- retaliation authorized by a WTO arbitrator under the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the …

World Trade Organization Agreements And Principles As A Vehicle For The Attainment Of Energy Security, Dennis J. Hough Jr.

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

Do you remember how you felt on Wednesday, January 7, 2009? Perhaps you do not. I know how some Europeans felt — cold. That was the day that Russia stopped all natural gas exports to Ukraine. By itself, this was a serious course of action. However, because Ukraine is the main transmission corridor for natural gas pipelines shipping gas to Europe, the situation commanded worldwide attention.

Transnational Legal Practice 2009, Laurel S. Terry, Carole Silver, Ellyn Rosen

Laurel S. Terry

This article identifies some of the most important U.S. and international developments in transnational legal practice and provides citations for further research. The article begins by briefly reviewing the impact of the recession on legal services. The second section focuses on international developments. It identifies some of the ongoing efforts to implement the 2007 U.K. Legal Services Act, including the issuance of the influential Hunt and Smedley reports. It also provides information about law reform initiatives in France, Scotland and Korea. This section of the article also provides information about Canadian and Australian developments regarding admission of foreign applicants and …

Rethinking The Relationship Between The Wto And International Human Rights, Gao Pengcheng

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

The Gats And Legal Services In Limerick, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

One of the most significant regulatory developments for legal services is their inclusion in the 1994 General Agreement on Trade in Services or GATS. The GATS was the first world trade agreement to cover services rather than goods and it applies to legal services. The GATS in Limerick is a light-hearted but nonetheless serious effort to address the most important legal services-related GATS developments in the last twelve years. These verses cover the basic principles of the GATS, the ongoing market access negotiations and the efforts to develop disciplines on domestic regulation.

The Wto Appellate Body Gambles On The Future Of The Gats: Analyzing The Internet Gambling Dispute Between Antigua And The United States Before The World Trade Organization, Kelly Ann M. Tran

ExpressO

The World Trade Organization’s recent Appellate Body decision in the Antigua – United States dispute found that U.S. restrictions on Internet gambling qualified for an exception under Article XIV of the GATS. This paper criticizes the Appellate Body’s decision to overturn the WTO Panel on two grounds. First, it argues that the Appellate Body erred when it concluded that U.S. gambling restrictions are necessary to protect public morals or maintain public order. Second, it argues that the Appellate Body failed to adhere to previous WTO measures dealing with similar jurisprudence and both panels did not adequately explain the significance of …

The Death Of The Doha Round. What Next For Services Trade?, Rafael Leal-Arcas

ExpressO

With the indefinite suspension of the WTO multilateral trade negotiations in July 2006 by WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, the world trading system must now find ways and means to unblock what is perceived as a danger to the world order. This article analyzes the legal and policy implications of the currently fatal Doha Round for the two main developed WTO Members, i.e., the U.S. and the EC, and the most relevant developing countries of the WTO. The specific focus of attention will be mainly on services trade. Thoughts on alternative ways to move forward in the multilateral trading system are …

The Wto Internet Gambling Dispute As A Case Of First Impression: How To Interpret Exceptions Under Gats Article Xiv(A) And How To Set The Trend For Implementation And Compliance In Wto Cases Involving “Public Morals” And “Public Order” Concerns?, Albena P. Petrova

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

Securing American Sovereignty: A Review Of The United States' Relationship With The Wto: Hearing Before The Subcomm. On Federal Financial Management, Government Information, And International Security Of The S. Comm. On Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs, 109th Cong., July 15, 2005 (Statement Of Professor Robert K. Stumberg, Geo. U. L. Center), Robert Stumberg

Testimony Before Congress

No abstract provided.

Materials Submitted To The Technical Subgroup (Tsg) Of The Expert Group On International Economic And Social Classifications, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This document is a collection of materials showing the different kinds of legal services classification systems. This material was presented to a United Nations committee studying classification issues. Laurel Terry appeared on behalf of the International Bar Association's GATS Task Force.

Lawyers, Gats, And The Wto Accountancy Disciplines: The History Of The Wto's Consultation, The Iba Gats Forum And The September 2003 Iba Resolutions, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article addresses issues related to legal services and the General Agreement on Trade in Services or GATS. GATS Article VI:4 requires Member States to develop "any necessary disciplines." WTO Members currently are in the process of deciding whether to extend the WTO Accountancy Disciplines, S/L/64, to other service sectors, including legal services. In December 2002, the WTO sent the International Bar Association (IBA) (and other non-governmental organizations) a "consultation letter" requesting the IBA's views about changes it would like to see in the WTO Accountancy Disciplines. The IBA responded to the WTO consultation with the May 2003 IBA GATS …

But What Will The Wto Disciplines Apply To? Distinguishing Among Market Access, National Treatment And Article Vi:4 Measures When Applying The Gats To Legal Services, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

One of the issues currently facing World Trade Organization (WTO) Member States is whether to extend to the legal profession and other service providers the WTO Disciplines for Domestic Regulation in the Accountancy Sector [Accountancy Disciplines]. The Accountancy Disciplines document applies to regulatory measures that would be considered domestic regulations under Article VI:4 of the GATS, rather than market access or national treatment measures under Articles XVI or XVII of the GATS. This paper argues that in order to meaningfully discuss whether to extend the Accountancy Disciplines to the legal profession, U.S. policy-makers and stakeholders need to understand the type …

Globalization In Financial Services - What Role For Gats?, Chantal Thomas

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To The Paris Forum On Transnational Practice For The Legal Profession, Laurel S. Terry

Laurel S. Terry

This article focuses on the 1998 Paris Forum on Transnational Practice for the Legal Profession and introduces the papers contained in the Paris Forum Symposium. The Paris Forum was the first meeting of lawyers from around the world devoted solely to the topic of transnational legal practice. Before the Paris Forum, some bar organizations had set aside time during their meetings to discuss the transnational practice of law and issues related to transnational legal services also had been included as topics in general conferences. The multi-day Paris Forum, however, was the first multi-day conference devoted to this topic. This paper …

"Wildly Enthusiastic" About The First Multilateral Agreement On Trade In Telecommunications Services, Laura B. Sherman

Federal Communications Law Journal

In 1998, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) "Basic Telecom Agreement" dramatically opened to foreign competition basic telecommunications services of the sixty-nine WTO Members committing to the Agreement. The process and results of the WTO negotiations are important to telecommunications consumers because there will be increased market competition, thereby decreasing the price of such services and increasing consumer choice. The negotiations that led to the WTO Agreement resolved many difficult issues including: scheduling, regulator’s independence, competitive safeguards, and interconnection of telecommunications suppliers. The resolution of these issues will allow market access and foreign ownership in over 90 percent of major markets. …

Liberalized Telecommunications Trade In The Wto: Implications For Universal Service Policy, Taunya L. Mclarty

Federal Communications Law Journal

The basic telecommunications commitments associated with the General Agreement on Trade in Services significantly affect market liberalization. Ultimately, a domestic legal framework that incorporates, as a part, some cost sharing for the furtherance of socially beneficial domestic policy would increase universal access benefits for some. Any detriment to those who are bearing the costs of it would be offset by the benefits that are obtained from GATS commitments on telecommunications that reduced trade barriers on services. Thus, this domestic/international arrangement could increase access to basic and enhanced services for some without decreasing universal service to any.