Law Commons^™

Asserting Copyright's Democratic Principles In The Global Arena, Neil W. Netanel

Vanderbilt Law Review

In a seeming blink of an eye, international bodies applying international law have effectively become the arbiters of domestic copyright law. World Trade Organization ("WTO") dispute settlement panels may now determine whether a nation's copyright law comports with the newly adopted Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property ("TRIPS"),' and may authorize trade sanctions upon a finding of non-compliance. Of like import, the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO") increasingly serves as a favored venue for copyright industry and user groups to further their legislative agendas. Recent WIPO treaties have accordingly set the tone for proposed domestic legislation designed …