Law Commons^™

Anti-Circumvention: Has Technology's Child Turned Against Its Mother?, Terri B. Cohen

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Because its function is to protect and support innovation, copyright has been deemed a child of technology. Yet, as copyright laws increase the scope of protection for copyrighted material, one may wonder when such protection will begin to stymie, rather than encourage, emerging technology. The global trend toward internationalizing copyright protection has resulted in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty, which was intended, in part, to bring international copyright protection into the digital age. The treaty, however, extends traditional copyright protections by including a requirement that member nations implement anti-circumvention provisions into their laws.

Great debate has emerged …

Corporate Governance And Sustainable Peace: An Insider's View, Marina N. Whitman

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The Author brings her 30 years of experience as a member of numerous corporate boards of directors to bear on the relationship between corporate governance and sustainable peace. In the Author's experience, over the last three decades corporate boards have become more diverse not only in terms of race and gender, but also through a greater focus on international participation. This diversity has led to concern for a broader set of stakeholders and, in many cases, these boards are presently conducting the affairs of their corporations in a more socially-responsible fashion. Despite these gains, however, the Author concedes that recent …

Nafta Chapter 11 And Professional Sports In Canada, Robert A. Schmoll

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Modern professional sports leagues are significant economic enterprises, the most prominent of which span the political border between the United States and Canada. In recent decades, local governments in the United States have invested heavily in professional sports franchises by building stadiums and arenas, hoping either to prevent the home team from moving out or to entice someone else's home team to move in. The willingness to pay of U.S. local governments, coupled with apparently disadvantageous economic conditions in Canada, has resulted in a net loss of professional franchises for Canadian cities, in particular franchises in Canada's national game, hockey. …

From Unwritten To Written: Transformation In The British Common-Law Constitution, David Jenkins

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article posits that the British Constitution is changing by incorporating written principles that restrain Parliament through judicial review. The Author asserts that this constitutional model has basis in the common law and the orthodox theories of Blackstone and Dicey. In addition, the "ultra vires" doctrine supports the model and provides a basis for judicial review of Parliament. As constitutions may accommodate written and unwritten elements of law, as well as various means of enforcement and change, the Author posits that constitutions are defined by how strongly they reflect underlying legal norms. With a shift in the rule of recognition …

Who Decides The Arbitrators' Jurisdiction? Separability And Competence--Competence In Transnational Perspective, John J. Barcelo, Iii

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Separability and competence-competence are two of the best known concepts in international commercial arbitration. They are different, but often linked, because they share a common goal: to prevent early judicial intervention from obstructing the arbitration process. Both concepts address the question, "Who decides arbitrability--courts or arbitrators?" but in different ways. I will discuss those differences later in this comment.

In his excellent paper delivered at this Symposium, "Everything You Really Need to Know About 'Separability' in Seventeen Simple Propositions, Professor Rau focuses principally on separability. His purpose is to defend separability in U.S. arbitration law from the surprisingly common and …

Taking Stock Of Nafta Chapter 11 In Its Tenth Year, Jack J. Coe, Jr.

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into force on January 1, 1994. Its Eleventh Chapter establishes substantive guarantees and an arbitral mechanism by which qualifying investors may seek damages for breach of those guarantees. The much-discussed investor-state arbitration apparatus was first invoked in September 1996, and since then has been resorted to several times against each NAFTA state. Many cases have concluded, while others are nearing completion. Though a mature jurisprudence has by no means emerged, substantive trends have been established and several of Chapter l's distinctive features, strengths, and weaknesses have been illuminated.

NAFTA's investor-state docket has …

The Exercise Of Contract Freedom In The Making Of Arbitration Agreements, Thomas E. Carbonneau

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The privatization and contractualization of arbitration, while they empower parties and unburden public institutions, should not eliminate completely the basis for the public regulation of the process. The string of "one-off' arbitrations, gathered together, has consequences upon the public interest in the orderly administration of adjudicative relations in both domestic and international law. The use of arbitration does have a bearing upon the substantive content of legal rights. Judicial vigilance should not only ward off the flagrant abuses of process and procedure in arbitration, but it should also establish an "interests of justice" limitation upon the operation of the process …

Nafta's Investment Chapter: Initial Thoughts About Second-Generation Rights, Charles H. Brower Ii

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article Professor Brower argues that most observers of NAFTA's investment chapter have missed an important and surprising development: Although the treaty's text shares a philosophical affinity with civil and political rights, its application has revealed an astonishing level of support for economic and social rights (ESCRs) in North America. Professor Brower examines the practical implications of this development both for the presentation of claims in investor-state arbitration and for the better integration of ESCRs into the mainstream of international law.

The Professional Professor, Kent D. Syverud

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Welcome to the Vanderbilt Law School and to this happy occasion in which we reflect on the life and career of Jonathan Charney. I say this is a "happy" occasion deliberately. There have been two months and a lot of tears since Jonathan died, and I know for many people here including me the loss is still deeply felt in expected and unexpected ways. But we are celebrating today, and we should be happy as we reflect on the extraordinary career and accomplishments and life of Jonathan Charney.

Jonathan I. Charney: A Tribute, Richard B. Bilder

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

I first met Jonathan in 1967 when he was a student in my international law class at the University of Wisconsin Law School. It was only my second year of teaching--I had just come to Wisconsin after some years with the State Department's Office of Legal Adviser. But Jonathan was a generous and forgiving, as well as excellent, student and somehow we both got through the course. Anyway, Jonathan became, first, the student of whom I was most fond; then, as his career developed, the student of whom I was most proud; and, eventually, as the years passed and our …

Adapting Corporate Governance For Sustainable Peace, Timothy L. Fort, Cindy A. Schipani

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Acts of violence toward multinational corporations have important consequences for the way these companies will need to structure their approach to international business. This Article proposes four contributions that corporations can make to sustainable peace. By incorporating sustainable peace as a business objective, multinational corporations may be able to blend extant corporate governance principles with a goal that can significantly contribute to the reduction of violence in society.

700 Families To Feed: The Challenge Of Corporate Citizenship, Tara J. Radin

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

When Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, was first interviewed after September 11, 2001, a tragedy that devastated his firm and stole the life of his brother, Lutnick stated that he now had "700 families to feed." The view that he expressed was that his firm was responsible to the families of the wage earners lost in the tragedy, even though the firm was not responsible for the events that had occurred. Such assumed corporate responsibility, consistent with a stakeholder-based approach to management, is often considered to conflict with the law. The purpose of this Article is to demonstrate that …

The Culture Of Arbitration, Tom Ginsburg

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The relationship between "legal culture" and the practice of international arbitration has received increasing attention in recent years. Many see arbitration as a meeting point for different legal cultures, a place of convergence and interchange wherein practitioners from different backgrounds create new practices. Some have suggested that this process has led to an emergent "international arbitration culture" fusing together elements of the common law and civil law traditions. Others see arbitration as a locus of conflict among traditions or as competition among various players.

This comment contests the view that the current state of convergence in arbitration is properly considered …

Slings And Arrows Of Outrageous Fortune: The Deportation Of "Aggravated Felons", Valerie Neal

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Any foreign national who is convicted of an "aggravated felony," as that term is defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, is subject to deportation from the United States. Deportation of so-called "aggravated felons" is in no way contingent upon the particular facts and circumstances in a given case. More troublingly, on the judiciary has no authority to review a deportation order based "aggravated felony" grounds. In the past decade, Congress has expanded the definition of "aggravated felony" to encompass many minor crimes that are neither aggravated nor felonious.

The deportation of foreign nationals on "aggravated felony" grounds is effectively …

Advancing U.S. Interests With The International Criminal Court, David J. Scheffer, Ambassador

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

It is a great pleasure to be here in this beautiful lecture hall at Vanderbilt University Law School and to have the opportunity to speak to you this afternoon about the International Criminal Court (ICC). In recent months, one newspaper or magazine article after another, in examining the foreign policy of the current administration and the gulf (which seems to be so pronounced now) between the United States and even its closest allies throughout the rest of the world, has listed a basic set of treaties as being partly explanatory of that gulf. The Kyoto Protocol, for example, is always …

Groundings Of Voice In Employee Rights, Dana Muir

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The 2001 Symposium on Corporate Governance, Stakeholder Accountability, and Sustainable Peace explored possible connections between corporations and sustainable peace. The Symposium's discussions were inspired by the view that liberal values and democratic principles help prevent violent conflict in society. In this Article, the Author discusses the notable ideas expressed in the symposium, including those articulated by Professors Timothy L. Fort, Cindy A. Schipani, and Terry M. Dworkin. The Author posits that formal programs enabling employees as owners and participants in their corporations may promote employee voice and improve corporate governance. Financial participation rights, decision-making participation rights, and "entry" and "exit" …

Corporate Governance And Sustainable Peace, Timothy L. Fort, Cindy A. Schipani

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The Articles and Commentary in this Symposium are another step in a series of conferences exploring dimensions of business influence on sustainable peace. As is often the case with new intellectual initiatives, each step seems to open new doors of insight and new sets of questions. Other presentations delivered at this conference included discussions of how one could design architectural plans in keeping with company goals, while others focused on the development of compassion, forgiveness, and voice. Still others connected the topic to notions of ethical compliance models, dispute resolution, corporate citizenship, and economic development.

Beyond these notions, of course, …

Gender Voice And Correlations With Peace+, Terry M. Dworkin, Cindy A. Schipani

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The statistics regarding violence in today's society are staggering. A newly released study published by the World Health Organization, making headlines in the Wall Street Journal (Oct. 3, 2002), reports that "Violence Took 1.6 Million Lives in 2000." This statistic includes only the data obtained from the 70 countries that report such statistics to the World Health Organization, it does not include reports from many other countries where violence is also high, such as Burundi, Rwanda, Iraq, Liberia and Afghanistan.

This Article seeks to address some of these issues of violence by considering issues of gender. The Authors pose the …

Workplace Violence And Security: Are There Lessons For Peacemaking?, Frances E. Zollers, Elletta S. Callahan

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The workplace can serve as a microcosm for global peace initiatives. The many facets of workplace violence provide various lessons for peacemaking. There are a variety of types and causes of workplace violence. There are also many techniques for dealing with workplace violence. Modern management practices parallel the values that are conducive to peace. Corporate structures that promote trust, participation, and dignity are transportable to the local, national, and global markets for peace.

Multilateral Management As A Fair Solution To The Spratly Disputes, Wei Cui

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The Spratlys are a scattered group of islands in the South China Sea over which China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei have made conflicting jurisdictional claims. Although there has been significant academic discussion of this dispute, the Author argues that much of it is hampered by a discourse obsessed with the regional balance of power and security-related strategies that are only tenuously related to each nation's specific legal claims in the Spratlys. In this Article, the Author suggests that a more productive approach to the Spratly disputes is one focused on finding a solution that is "fair" to all …

Category Iii Films And Vcds: The Failure Of Deterrence In The Copyright Ordinance Of Hong Kong, Allen Woods

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In 1997, the government of Hong Kong enacted the Copyright Ordinance. The goal of the Ordinance was to establish a strong deterrent against the illegal manufacture and sale of copyright infringing materials, especially pirated video and digital compact discs. Courts have interpreted the Ordinance to allow the Customs and Excise Department sweeping powers of search and seizure. As a result, the government has seized many thousands of copyright infringing video compact discs and courts have enforced lengthy custodial sentences against guilty parties.

Despite these efforts, though, film piracy continues to grow throughout Hong Kong and transnational film interests have begun …

Renegotiation And Adaptation Clauses In Investment Contracts, Revisited, John Y. Gotanda

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Professor Dr. Klaus Berger, in Renegotiation and Adaptation of International Investment Contracts: The Role of Contract Drafters and Arbitrators, proposes that international investment contracts include a clause allowing the parties to renegotiate the terms of their contract if certain events take place.' If they are unable to reach an agreement, Professor Berger advocates that the parties agree to permit an arbitral tribunal to modify the terms of the contract to restore the economic equilibrium assumed by the parties when they concluded the agreement. Although commentators have often championed these clauses, private parties involved in international transactions have included them infrequently. …

How We Should Think About The Constitutional Status Of The Suspected Terrorist Detainees At Guantanamo Bay, Akash R. Desai

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, the United States has held suspected terrorist detainees captured during the military campaign in Afghanistan indefinitely at the United States military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Among those currently detained are members of the al-Qaeda terrorist group and the Taliban. Currently the detainees are in the peculiar situation of generally being outside the scope of protections offered by both the international humanitarian law and the Unites States criminal law regimes.

This Note examines the extraterritorial scope of the United States Constitution as it applies to the suspected terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay. …