International Trade Law Commons^™

The Rise Of Transparency And The Decline Of Secrecy In The Age Of Global And Social Media, P.J. Crowley

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

News reporting of a wide range of sensitive government policies, operations, and internal deliberations has raised understandable concerns that U.S. national security is being compromised. In response, there is an increase in investigations and prosecutions and proposed legislation to plug government leaks. But a broader reality may be at work. In the increasingly interconnected and transparent world of the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, satellite television, WikiLeaks, omniscient cellphones and technology-enhanced revolutions such as the Arab Awakening, governments have lost their ability to control the flow of information. More people have access to more information, with the ability to communicate anything from …

The Balance Of Power, Public Goods, And The Lost Art Of Grand Strategy: American Policy Toward The Persian Gulf And Rising Asia In The 21st Century, Flynt Leverett, Hillary Mann Leverett

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

An important driver of relative decline in America’s international standing is the failure of its political elites to define reality-based foreign policy goals and to relate the diplomatic, economic, and military means at Washington’s disposal to realizing them—the essence of “grand strategy.” For several decades, American policy has been pulled in opposite directions by two competing models of grand strategy. In one—the leadership model—America maximizes its international standing by adroitly managing regional and global power balances and promoting the processes of economic liberalization known collectively as globalization. In the second model—the transformation model—America seeks not to manage power balances but …

Climate Change And International Trade: Conflict Or Opportunity?, Joshua Meltzer

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

How can international trade negotiations provide incentives or limit progress on domestic and international climate change policy? This presentation will explore how trade negotiations can reduce trade barriers to low carbon produced goods, the implications of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and free trade agreements, and how pricing carbon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can lead to international competitiveness and carbon leakage concerns. This presentation will consider the implications of the November 6th election on short and long-term climate policy initiatives.

Regulatory Conflicts: International Tender And Exchange Offers In The 1990s, John C. Maguire

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Real Challenge To The Polish Revolution: Cleaning The Polish Environment Through Privatization And Preventive Market-Based Incentives, G. Nelson Smith Iii

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Prospects For Satisfactory Dispute Resolution Of Private Commercial Disputes Under The North American Free Trade Agreement, Jonathan I. Miller

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The 2012 Us Model Bit And What The Changes (Or Lack Thereof) Suggest About Future Investment Treaties, Lise Johnson

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

In April of this year the US State Department released a new version of its model bilateral investment treaty (BIT). This text, like the various models the US has used over roughly the past 3 decades, represents the US’s basic policy position when it starts negotiations on investment treaties with other countries, and is therefore an important benchmark for the outcome US investors might hope for as a result of ongoing and potential future talks with countries such as China, Russia, and India. Overall, this new model text follows the approach taken by the US in its investment treaties over …

67. International Investment Arbitration: Winning, Losing And Why, Susan Franck, Karl P. Sauvant, Jennifer Reimer, Todd Allee, Ilan Alon, Alice H. Amsden, Tadahiro Asami, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah, Paul Barbour, Christian Bellak, Axel Berger, Sjoerd Beugelsdijk, Subrata Bhattacharjee, Harry G. Broadman, Elizabeth Broomfield, Gert Bruche, Matthias Busse, John A. Cantwell, Aleh Cherp, Lorenzo Cotula, Nandita Dasgupta, Kenneth Davies, Alexandre De Gramont, Armand Claude De Mestral, Kabir Duggal, Persephone Economou, John Evans, David N. Fagan, Mark Feldman, Hermann Ferré, Daniel M. Firger, Veljko Fotak, Kevin P. Gallagher, Nilgun Gokgur, Kathryn Gordon, Jose Guimon, Thilo Hanemann, Torfinn Harding, Jean-François Hennart, Seev Hirsch, Wing (Xiaoying) Huo, Beata Smarzynska Javorcik, Nathan M. Jensen, Lise Johnson, Thomas Jost, George Kahale Iii, Kalman Kalotay, Laza Kekic, John M. Kline, Charles Kovacs, Jürgen Kurtz, Jo En Low, Miguel PéRez LudeñA, Edmund J. Malesky, Geraldine Mcallister, William L. Megginson, Sophie Meunier, Michael Mortimore, Joel Moser, Michael D. Nolan, Peter Nunnenkamp, Terutomo Ozawa, Clint Peinhardt, Nicolás M. Perrone, Luke Eric Peterson, Mark Plotkin, Joachim Pohl, Lauge N. Skovgaard Poulsen, Carlos Razo, Daniel Rosen, Martin Roy, Giorgio Sacerdoti, Premila Nazareth Satyanand, Manfred Schekulin, Stephan W. Schill, Francisco Colman Sercovich, Arjen Hl Slangen, Roger Smeets, Hans Smit, M. Sornarajah, Frederic G. Sourgens, Jonathan Strauss, Kenneth P. Thomas, Margo Thomas, Perrine Toledano, Julien Topal, Anne Van Aaken, Gus Van Harten, Daniel Villar, Sandy Walker, Mira Wilkins, Jason W. Yackee, Chen Zhao

Contributions to Books

This second edition of this publication provides an overview of important contemporary issues relating to foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational enterprises for all those who are interested in this subject, but are not always in a position to follow diverse perspectives and what is being written in the various corners of this field. The contributions are grouped under the following headings: attracting FDI and its impact; the rise of emerging market investors; national policies; sustainable international investment; and international investment treaties and arbitration. The volume brings together all Perspectives published since the inception of this series until 2012.

Bringing A Complaint Under The Nafta Environmental Side Accord: Difficult Steps Under A Procedural Paper Tiger, But Movement In The Right Direction, Michael J. Kelly

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Real-Time Collection Of The Value-Added Tax: Some Business And Legal Implications, Richard Thompson Ainsworth, Boryana Madzharova

Faculty Scholarship

Recent estimates of the level of VAT fraud in the EU are commensurate with the EU budget. With the Green paper on the future of VAT, the European Commission stressed the urgency and necessity of comprehensive VAT reforms. This paper analyses the business and legal implications of the recently proposed split-payment mechanism, which, if implemented, would move VAT’s method of collection to real-time. The discussion is positioned in the context of two increasingly visible trends in the EU – the general shift towards greater reliance on indirect taxation and the growing popularity of electronic payment instruments. The potential implementation of …

Book Review: The Public International Law Regime Governing International Investment, By Jose E. Alvarez, The Hague: Hague Academy Of International Law, Susan Franck

Book Reviews

Jose Alverez's recent book, The Public International Law Regime Governing International Investment, places international investment law firmly within the rubric of public international law. Historically, international investment law might have been classified as pure private international law given the private commercial actors and investment activities involved. Alvarez posits that a dichotomous public versus private law paradigm does not work in the context of international investment and makes the implicit explicit by considering investment law’s unique, arguably sui generis, hybrid essence that crosses the public and private international law divides. This book review explores Alvarez's primary thesis and his extended exposition …

Value Divergence In Global Intellectual Property Law, J. Janewa Osei-Tutu

Articles

It is a challenge for the United States to adequately protect the interests of its intellectual property industries. It is particularly difficult to effectively achieve this objective when the interests of the United States are not in line with the social, cultural, and economic goals of other nations. Yet, as a major exporter of intellectual property protected goods, the United States has an interest in negotiating effective international intellectual property agreements that are perceived to be legitimate by the state signatories and their constituents. Focusing on value divergence, this Article contributes to the growing body of literature on developing a …

Why Copyright Falls Behind The Requirement For Protecting Graphic User Interfaces: Case Studies On Limitations Of Copyright Protection For Guis In China, Ling Jin, Yihong Ying

IP Theory

No abstract provided.

Inching Towards Consensus: An Update On The Uncitral Transparency Negotiations, Lise Johnson

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

From October 1-5, 2012, a working group of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) met in Vienna to continue work on how to ensure transparency in treaty-based investor-state arbitration. It was the working group’s fifth week-long meeting on the topic, but will not be the last. Although some issues were settled, many very significant ones remain contentious, and will be picked up again by the working group when it meets in February 2013.

Price-Fixing: Hefty Penalties On Big-Biz Cartels Will Provide Level Playing Field To Small Businesses, John M. Connor, Robert H. Lande

All Faculty Scholarship

Cartels are illegal in India, as they are almost everywhere. They are subject to heavy fines. Why, then, do businesses frequently try to fix prices? Because doing so usually is profitable. On average cartels raise prices by more than 20%, and probably face less than a 25% chance of being caught and convicted. Based upon a sample of 75 international cartels, the authors calculate that the expected profits from price fixing almost always exceed the penalties. No wonder businesses often try to fix prices.

Consumer Choice As The Best Way To Describe The Goals Of Competition Law, Robert H. Lande

All Faculty Scholarship

This article is both a short introduction to the Consumer Choice explanation for Competition Law or Antitrust Law, and also a short advocacy piece suggesting that Consumer Choice is the best way to articulate the goals of European Competition Law and United States Antitrust Law.

This article briefly:

1. defines the consumer choice approach to antitrust or competition law and shows how it differs from other approaches;
2. shows that the antitrust statutes and theories of violation embody a concern for optimal levels of consumer choice;
3. shows that the United States antitrust case law embodies a concern for optimal levels of consumer …

“Advancing With The Times: Industrial Design Protection In The Era Of Virtual Migration”, Horacio E. Gutiérrez

IP Theory

No abstract provided.

Mahagében Kft & Péter Dávid: Re-Directing The Eu Vat's Perfect Storm, Richard Thompson Ainsworth

Faculty Scholarship

On June 21, 2012 the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rendered judgment on two Hungarian references, Mahagében kft v. Nemzeti Adó-és Vámhivatal Dél-dunántúli Regionális Adó Fölgazgatósága and Péter Dávid v. Nemzeti Adó-és Vámhivatal Dél-dunántúli Regionális Adó Fölgazgatósága (Mahagében/Dávid). The Mahagében/Dávid decisions clarify the CJEU’s earlier holdings in the joined cases of Alex Kittel v. Belgium and Belgium v. Recolta Recycling SPRL (Kittel/Recolta).

Kittel/Recolta is a critically important decision. It is central to the EU’s anti-fraud effort. It is one of three legal imperatives that earlier this year appeared to be coalescing into a Perfect (enforcement) Storm.

After …

Gsp And Development: Increasing The Effectiveness Of Nonreciprocal Preferences, Matthew G. Snyder

Michigan Journal of International Law

The intellectual foundations of nonreciprocal preferences were first laid out in the 1960s, as several scholars noted developing countries' increasing reliance on highly volatile, low-value-added exports like agricultural and mineral commodities. The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which became the mechanism for implementing nonreciprocal preferential market access, was developed in this context. GSP was envisioned as part of a larger development strategy that included import-substitution policies, infant industry protection, and preferential access to developed countries' markets. As GSP granted preferential access over World Trade Organization (WTO) most favored nation (MFN) rates, development economists anticipated that it would provide developing countries' …

Bridging The Divide: An Alternative Approach To International Labor Rights After The Battle Of Seattle, Stephen F. Diamond

Pepperdine Law Review

The massive protest by labor, human rights, and environmental activists at the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization in Seattle in late 1999 was a singular event in global trade politics. It represented a major setback for the proponents of free trade and for the "globalization" process itself. It reflected, and has now influenced, the contours of American domestic politics as well. At the heart of the Seattle events was a new coalition between trade unions, led by the American AFL-CIO, and a wide range of protest groups and non-governmental organizations. This new coalition represents a potent force but …

International Dispute Settlement At The Trademark-Domain Name Interface, Laurence R. Helfer

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Investor-State Disputes Under Nafta: A Tale Of Fear And Equilibrium, Charles H. Brower Ii

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Addressing Climate Change Mitigation And Adaptation Through Insurance For Overseas Investments: The Example Of The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Lise Johnson

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

In 2008, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) estimated that investments of between US$540–570 billion in physical assets and other financial flows will be needed to adequately reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to combat climate change; additionally, tens and possibly hundreds of billions of dollars may be necessary to enable countries to adapt to the phenomenon’s challenges. Through climate negotiations under the UNFCCC in Copenhagen and Cancun, developed country governments committed to provide developing countries roughly US$30 billion between 2010 and 2012 and to mobilize approximately US$100 billion per year by 2020 for climate change activities. …

Managing Expectations: Beyond Formal Adjudication, Susan Franck

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The international investment system has depended heavily on international arbitration to provide guidance and clarification on the standards contained in international investment agreements. In order to assess the system realistically, this commentary discusses unpacking stakeholder expectations by recognizing where expectations may have been overly optimistic and thinking systematically about the mechanisms through which to capture and manage regulatory discretion. This article evaluates ideas expressed by Anne van Aaken and Bart Legum, which consider different ways to achieve regulatory and commercial balance, and offers a lens for thinking systematically about managing stakeholder expectations in the international investment system. A critical issue …

Jlia Editorial Board & Staff

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

A Blue Thai Affair: The Blue Diamond Affair's Illustration Of The Royal Thai Police Force's Standards Of Corruption, Meghan A. Mcclincy

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

The Blue Diamond Affair, an international jewelry heist, captivated the world’s attention because of its unresolved murders, its implication of law enforcement and public officials from two divergent countries, and the resulting diplomatic tensions between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The crime also demonstrates the inadequacy of the policies that governed the conduct of the Royal Thai Police Force and how the policies allowed, if not perpetuated corruption within the Royal Thai Police Force. This comment provides an overview of the Blue Diamond Affair, analyzes the Thai criminal statutes and policies, and explores possible remedies for police corruption in Thailand and …

Stop The Money, Stop The Attacks: A Categorical Approach To Achieving An International Terrorist Financing Sanction Regime, Vietlong Nguyen

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

Money allows terrorist organizations to continue their day-to-day operations. Stopping the flow of financial support to terrorist organizations will diminish the intensity and frequency of the attacks and ideally lead to a cessation of such attacks. One country may be able to establish barriers to terrorist financing through government sanctions. These barriers will not stop terrorist financing; but rather, it will divert it to another country. The only way to effectively stop such financing is to implement international standards for terrorist financing sanctions. But as countries differ economically and politically, a solution must accommodate each countries’ unique situation. This comment …

China And The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement - Acta Faith, Or Act Futility?: An Exposition Of Intellectual Property Enforcement In The Age Of Shanzhai (山寨), Leroy J. Pelicci Jr.

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

This comment presents a snapshot of the current state of intellectual property (“IP”) enforcement in China in light of a controversial new treaty designed to address the illicit, yet by all accounts thriving, industry of trade in pirated and counterfeit goods. Beginning with an overview of IP-intensive industries, this comment highlights the significance and value of this unique form of property, both to individuals and to national economies. This comment then shifts in focus to the areas of commerce most affected by counterfeiting and piracy, discussing China’s prevalent role in the epidemic, and its copycat subculture known as “Shanzhai.” Thereafter, …

Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves: What Europe's Romanies Can Teach The United States About Crime-Motivated Immigration Reform, Allie Sievers

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

This comment proposes that the United States could learn a great deal about the dangers of extreme immigration policy-making by looking to the European states and their dealings with the Romani, specifically the French expulsions of the Romani in 2010. Through this lens, this comment analyzes flaws in the U.S.’ crime-motivated immigration enforcement programs, and argues that the U.S. needs to move quickly to remedy flaws in immigration enforcement before it repeats many of the mistakes that led to the current condition of Europe’s Romanies and creates its own class of un-integrated ethnic minorities.

Were "It" To Happen: Contract Continuity Under Euro Regime Change, Robert C. Hockett

Cornell Law Faculty Working Papers

One way or another, the European Monetary Union (EMU) is apt to endure. The prospect of continuation under the precise contours of the regime as we presently find it, however, is anything but certain. Hence many investors and other actual or prospective contract parties are likely to remain skittish until matters grow clearer. This skittishness, importantly, can itself hamper the prospect of expeditious European recovery. Addressing particular sources of ongoing uncertainty about EMU prospects can itself therefore aid in the project of recovery.

This Essay accordingly aims to impose structure upon one particular, and indeed particularly complex, source of uncertainty …