International Law Commons^™

United States Ratification Of The Law Of The Sea Convention: Securing Our Navigational Future While Managing China's Blue Water Ambitions, Michael J. Kelly

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

The War Powers Resolution At 40: Still An Unconstitutional, Unnecessary, And Unwise Fraud That Contributed Directly To The 9/11 Attacks, Robert F. Turner

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Reflecting On Measured Deliberations, Nicholas A. Robinson

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

“Environmental law is essential for the protection of natural resources and ecosystems and reflects our best hope for the future of our planet”. This declaration, made by participants at the Rio+20 World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability, reflects the maturing of environmental law around the world. Usually implicitly, but often explicitly, the deliberations at Rio+20 in June 2012 addressed the dual needs for more effective implementation of existing environmental norms and enacting further laws to stem global degradation of the environment. Rio+20 recommended that, in the autumn of 2012, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) act …

The Common Heritage Of Mankind: Past, Present, And Future, John E. Noyes

Faculty Scholarship

This essay reflects on what has happened to the principle of the common heritage of humankind (the CH principle whereby all manage resources and share in the rewards of exploiting them, even if they are not able to participate in that exploitation) including recent developments affecting its implementation and its possible future. Part II of this essay discusses what the CH principle means in international law. This discussion involves three questions: To what situations does the principle apply? What are its components or elements? And what is its legal status? Parts III and IV suggest that "context" is essential to …

A Development Model Meets Piracy In Paraguay, James M. Cooper, Carlos Ruffinelli

Faculty Scholarship

This essay will explore the dynamics behind Paraguay's economy, political stability, legal culture, and geopolitical conditions that make the protection of IP rights a major challenge. Part I of this essay details Paraguay's current condition in a socioeconomic, political, and developmental context. Part II of this essay explores how Paraguay's lack of economic opportunities, relaxed enforcement regime, and cultural tradition create conditions where the counterfeiting industry flourishes. Part III of this essay examines some of the international IP rights agreements to which Paraguay is a party, and it examines how these agreements might help strengthen the IP rights regime in …

The Full Story Of U.S. V. Smith, America’S Most Important Piracy Case, Joel H. Samuels

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Strengthening The Link In Linkage: Defining "Development Needs" In Wto Law, Suyash Paliwal

American University International Law Review

No abstract provided.

International Law Bares Its Teeth: How States And International Organizations Enforce Customary Norms And Treaty Obligations: Introduction, Justin T. Carlson

American University International Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Rule Of Law In Outer Space: The Effects Of Treaties And Nonbinding Agreements On International Space Law, Brian Wessel

UC Law SF International Law Review

Since the 1980s, states have increasingly relied on nonbinding agreements over binding treaties to govern activities in outer space. Although this trend has produced considerable debate among both scholars and practitioners, it appears likely to continue in the near future. Recently, commentators have begun using the concept of the rule of law to criticize this reliance on nonbinding space agreements, but these commentators rarely discuss what is meant by "the rule of law." This Article examines several theories of rule of law and applies those theories in evaluating recent criticisms of current and proposed nonbinding space agreements. Through the lens …

Licensing And Access Problems Producers Of Video Games Face In Foreign Markets: A Case Study, Jason Ross

UC Law SF International Law Review

Nearly a decade ago an American online video game called Everquest swept the world markets and generated enormous profits. Since then a genre of video games known as Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games has developed. Capitalizing on the genre's huge success, Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft (WoW) has catapulted gaming to new heights earning over USD $1 billion annually. While the game is sold globally, Chinese players account for nearly half of WoWs player base. Keeping this enormous market has, however, been challenging and for nearly two years Blizzard lost its market access in China.

Using Chinese WoW as …

Where Does The Dirham Stop In A Sukuk Default, Irina Marinescu

UC Law SF International Law Review

Socioeconomic unrest across Shari'ah (Islamic law) - abiding jurisdictions comes at a time of expanding Islamic financial markets. This Note focuses on one prominent financial instrument fueling growth in the Islamic finance landscape: sukuk. This Note explores legal uncertainties around sukuk default mechanisms and their implications for creditors and the world at large. In so doing, this Note argues that holders of sukuk, which are participatory certificates evidencing Shari'ah-compliant interests, stand to lose their capital depending on whether they have true recourse to the underlying assets. Part II frames the discussion by briefly introducing the reader to Islamic finance and …

Open Oceans And Marine Debris: Solutions For The Ineffective Enforcement Of Marpol Annex V, Andrew Rakestraw

UC Law SF International Law Review

Located midway between Hawaii and California, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a vast soup of plastic and other garbage from land- and ship-based sources. Plastics are the primary component of this mass and wreck havoc on marine animal populations and present a serious threat to human health.

Regulating this debris dumped from cargo ships at an international level presents numerous challenges. The immensity of the ocean and the lack of state jurisdiction beyond 200 miles off the coast make effective enforcement of plastics dumping regulations very challenging. The current regulatory system essentially leaves compliance with international standards up to …

Disputing Arbitration Clauses In International Insurance Agreements: Problems With The Self-Execution Framework, Michael J. Ritter

Pace International Law Review Online Companion

This Article argues that the self-execution framework that courts have adopted—and scholars have endorsed—in addressing whether McCarran-Ferguson enables states to reverse preempt the New York Convention is inadequate. First, the Article addresses the interpretive question: what is an “Act of Congress” under McCarran-Ferguson? By examining whether a treaty is self or non-self-executing, courts discard proper methods of statutory interpretation. Second, the Article argues that courts have failed to satisfactorily transpose the self-execution doctrine—which has been relevant only in determining whether a treaty confers a legally enforceable right in the U.S.—into the context of the conflict between McCarran-Ferguson and the New …

Measuring Human Rights: A Review Essay, David L. Richards

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

Measuring Human Rights. By Todd Landman & Edzia Carvalho. New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. 163pp.

Brazil’S Upcoming “Mega-Events” Human Rights Legacy, Thomas Pegram

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Preparations for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games are well underway in Brazil, with local government officials in Rio de Janeiro trumpeting the “major success” of initiatives intended to address notoriously high levels of violent crime.

In an attempt to head off widespread concerns, which preceded South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup, the apparent success of initiatives such as the Police Pacification Units (PPUs) cracking down on insecurity in Rio’s shantytowns (many, such as Rocinha, close to popular tourist areas and venues for Olympic events) has been loudly hailed by local politicians and duly reported by …

Feminism In The Global Political Economy: Contradiction And Consensus In Cuba, Deborah M. Weissman

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

Comments: The Scarlett Letter "T": The Tier Iii Terrorist Classification's Inconsistent And Ineffectual Effects On Asylum Relief For Members And Supporters Of Pro-Democratic Groups, Daniella Pozzo Darnell

University of Baltimore Law Review

No abstract provided.

Law – Made In Germany: Global Standort Or Global Standard?, James Maxeiner

All Faculty Scholarship

Earlier this year the Federal Ministry of Justice released the second edition of the brochure, Law - Made in Germany. For those readers who do not know the brochure, it is the product of an umbrella group of German professional organizations known as the Bündnis für das deutsche Recht. A purpose of the Bündnis, as stated at its founding in 2008, and of the brochure, is to improve the position of German law in the ― "international competition of legal systems" (internationalen Wettbewerb der Rechtsordnungen). Catalyst for founding of the Bündnis and for publication of Law - Made in Germany …

Making A Voluntary Greek Debt Exchange Work, Mitu Gulati, Jeromin Zettelmeyer

Faculty Scholarship

Within the next couple of months, the Greek government, is supposed to persuade private creditors holding about EUR 200bn in its bonds to voluntarily exchange their existing bonds for new bonds that pay roughly 50 percent less. This may work with large creditors whose failure to participate in a debt exchange could trigger a Greek default, but may not persuade smaller creditors, who will be told that their claims will continue to be fully serviced if they do not participate in the exchange. This paper proposes an approach to dealing with this free rider problem that exploits the fact that …

Attorney General Bradford’S Opinion And The Alien Tort Statute, Curtis A. Bradley

Faculty Scholarship

In debates over the scope of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), one historical document has played an especially prominent role. This document is a short opinion by U.S. Attorney General William Bradford, issued in the summer of 1795, concerning the involvement of U.S. citizens in an attack by a French fleet on a British colony in Sierra Leone. Numerous academic articles, judicial opinions, and litigation briefs have invoked the Bradford opinion, for a variety of propositions, and the opinion was discussed by both sides in the oral argument before the Supreme Court in the first hearing in the pending ATS …