Intellectual Property Law Commons^™

A Supplementary Submission On The Commonwealth's Treaty-Making Process, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

This supplementary submission highlights two new developments, which have arisen since the initial submission. First, it considers the publication of the draft Investment Chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) by WikiLeaks. Second, it looks at the introduction of the fast-track trade promotion authority bill, the Bipartisan Congressional Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, into the United States Congress. The two topics have been inter-linked to a certain extent.

The Commonwealth's Treaty-Making Process, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

Considering both the situation in Australia and the United States, the Commonwealth’s Treaty-Making Process is broken. There have been significant problems in respect of transparency, public participation, empirical analysis, and parliamentary oversight. In addition, there has been a concern that the Commonwealth’s Treaty-Making Process has failed to adequately address matters of fair trade. In particular, there is a need to engage a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of international agreements upon the environment, public health, labor rights, and human rights. Such problems have been particularly pronounced during the negotiations over the regional trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Having participated in …

From Kafka To Kafta: Intellectual Property, And The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement 2014 (KAFTA) is a Kafkaesque agreement – with its secret texts, speculative claims, and shadowy tribunals. Australia and South Korea have signed a new free trade agreement - the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement2014 (KAFTA). Is it a fair trade fairytale? Or is it a dirty deal done dirt cheap? Or somewhere in between? It is hard to tell, given the initial secrecy of the negotiations, and the complexity of the texts of the agreement. There has been much debate in the Australian Parliament over the transparency of the trade agreement; the scope of market access …

A Supplementary Submission On Trojan Horse Clauses: Investor-State Dispute Settlement, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

Executive Summary This supplementary submission considers a number of new developments in Investor-State Dispute Settlement in Canada, North America, the European Union, and Africa. This supplementary submission highlights the application of Investor-State Dispute Settlement in the context of water rights, intellectual property, and media regulation. This supplementary submission also highlights the conflict between domestic courts and international tribunals in Investor-State Dispute Settlement, raising significant issues about the rule of law and justice. Recommendation 14 In light of the work of Maude Barlow and the Council of Canadians, it is evident that Investor-State Dispute Settlement has a significant impact upon water …

A Supplementary Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties On The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

This supplementary submission responds to new developments regarding Investor-State Dispute Settlement; questions about transparency and the enforcement of labor and environmental standards in trade agreements; and the role of copyright exceptions in Korea.

A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties On The Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Kafta), Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

Australia and South Korea have signed a new free trade agreement - the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA). Is it a fair trade fairytale? Or is it a dirty deal done dirt cheap? Or somewhere in between? It is hard to tell, given the initial secrecy of the negotiations, and the complexity of the texts of the agreement There has been much debate in Parliament over the transparency of the trade agreement; the scope of market access provided under the deal; the impact of the investment chapter, with its investor-state dispute settlement clause; the intellectual property chapter; the environment chapter; …

Trojan Horse Clauses: Investor-State Dispute Settlement. A Submission To The Australian Parliament., Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

‘The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) proposes to freeze into a binding trade agreement many of the worst features of the worst laws in the TPP countries, making needed reforms extremely difficult if not impossible. The investor state dispute resolution mechanisms should not be shrouded in mystery to the general public, while the same provisions are routinely discussed with advisors to big corporations.’ Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics

‘Investment arbitration as currently constituted is not a fair, independent, and balanced method for the resolution of disputes between sovereign nations and private investors.’ Retired Justice Elizabeth Evatt and leading jurists

‘Opening …

Trick Or Treaty? The Australian Debate Over The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta), Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

The secretive 2011Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement – known in short by the catchy acronym ACTA – is a controversial trade pact designed to provide for stronger enforcement of intellectual property rights. The preamble to the treaty reads like pulp fiction – it raises moral panics about piracy, counterfeiting, organised crime, and border security. The agreement contains provisions on civil remedies and criminal offences; copyright law and trademark law; the regulation of the digital environment; and border measures. Memorably, Susan Sell called the international treaty a TRIPS Double-Plus Agreement, because its obligations far exceed those of the World Trade Organization's TRIPS Agreement …

A Submission To The House Of Representatives Standing Committee On Social Policy And Legal Affairs On The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill 2013 (Cth), Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

The amendments contained in the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill 2013 (Cth) are designed to provide safeguards in relation to patent law and the public interest.In the 2012 case on plain packaging, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Robert French, emphasized that the role of intellectual property law is to promote public objectives. His Honour observed: ‘There are and always have been purposive elements reflecting public policy considerations which inform the statutory creation of intellectual property rights.’ Discussing the role of patent law, Chief Justice Robert French commented:The Patents Act 1990 (Cth) provides that a patent gives …

A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties On The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement 2011 (#Acta), Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

“If Hollywood could order intellectual property laws for Christmas, what would they look like? This is pretty close.” David Fewer“While European and American IP maximalists have pushed for TRIPS-Plus provisions in FTAs and bilateral agreements, they are now pushing for TRIPS-Plus-Plus protections in these various forums.” Susan Sell“ACTA is a threat to the future of a free and open Internet.” Alexander Furnas“Implementing the agreement could open a Pandora's box of potential human rights violations.” Amnesty International.“I will not take part in this masquerade.” Kader Arif, Rapporteur for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement 2011 in the European ParliamentExecutive SummaryAs an independent scholar …

A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties On The Agreement Between Australia And The European Community On Trade In Wine 2009, Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

Geographical indications are defined under the TRIPS Agreement 1994 as “indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a Member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin”. Geographical indications involve a consideration of intellectual property law, international trade law, and agricultural policy. This submission will consider the intersection between these fields of regulation.This submission is a personal response to the Agreement between Australia and the European Community on Trade in Wine 2009; and a more impersonal effort to …

The Australia-Chile Free Trade Agreement 2008: Intellectual Property And Development. A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties., Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

“The Intellectual Property chapter locks in Australia and Chile’s current standards of intellectual property protection for patents, trademarks, geographical indications and copyright, including through appropriate enforcement mechanisms”Regulatory Impact Statement 2008“The public domain is of crucial importance for researchers, academics, teachers, artists, authors and enterprises, which require a rich base of content for their new creations, as well as for those institutions, the function of which is to preserve or disseminate knowledge, such as universities, research centers, libraries, information services, archives and museums.”Submission of the Government of Chile to the World Intellectual Property Organization.“We do not want our trade representatives to …

The Hong Kong Amendment To The Trips Agreement: A Submission To The Joint Standing Committee On Treaties., Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer

In the wake of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health 2001 and the WTO General Council Decision 2003, there is a need for industrialised nations to implement legislation to enable the export of pharmaceutical drugs to address public health concerns.I would argue that the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) should make provision for the grant of a compulsory licence over a patented invention in circumstances of ‘a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency, or in cases of public non-commercial use’. Such a measure is necessary to deal with the possibility of public health epidemics that …

The Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement 2004 And The Copyright Term Extension. A Submission To The Senate Select Committee., Matthew Rimmer

Matthew Rimmer