Law Commons^™

Unlabel Their Frankenstein Foods!: Evaluating A U.S. Challenge To The European Commission's Labeling Requirements, John S. Fredland

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The recent development of genetically-modified agriculture has been accepted enthusiastically by the U.S. agricultural producers, but the European public has expressed fear that the so-called "Frankenstein Foods" may be harmful to health and the environment. Faced with this public outcry, the European Commission. passed regulations, which mandated that food products containing genetically-modified agricultural products be labeled as such. Although the European Commission appears to have passed its labeling requirements without express or hidden protective intent, the regulations stand to make U.S. producers less competitive in the European market than their European counterparts. This Note contends that the United States should …

Combating Copyright Infringement In Russia: A Comprehensive Approach For Western Plaintiffs, David E. Miller

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article addresses several measures that U.S. and European firms can undertake to combat copyright infringing activities in Russia. First, the Article attempts to dispel the notion that Russian law and the Russian government are inadequate to deal with copyright and piracy problems. In fact, recent surveys suggest that foreign plaintffs have achieved some success in arbitrazh courts. Furthermore, Russian authorities have begun to take steps to ensure that these decisions will be enforced.

Second, the Author suggests that the United States and European nations can apply pressure on the Russian Federation to ensure compliance with copyright laws in the …

Commercial Norms, Commercial Codes, And International Commercial Arbitration, Christopher R. Drahozal

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article examines whether the incorporation of commercial norms into commercial codes is an appropriate law-making strategy. Most commercial codes, including the Uniform Commercial Code, regard common business practices as an important source for courts to consider when resolving contract disputes. Yet some scholars criticize this incorporation strategy, arguing that reliance on commercial norms is often inappropriate and may distort the true nature of the parties' agreement. Reliance on commercial norms does restrict the ability of contracting parties to allocate part of their agreement to extra-legal means of enforcement. Nevertheless, this Article asserts that those costs may be outweighed by …