WTO Awards Caribbean Country Right to Ignore US Copyright 460
The WTO's recent ruling on Antigua's complaint against the US over the banning of online gambling resulted in a payment to the island nation much less than they asked for. It appears, though, that this payment was just part of the WTO's compensation package for Antigua/Barbuda. Via Kotaku, the Hollywood Reporter notes that the Caribbean country can now freely ignore US copyright laws - legally. This dispensation is apparently limited to some $21 million a year. "The WTO often takes decisions awarding trade compensation in cases where one nation's policies are found to break its rules. But this is only the second time the compensation lets one country violate intellectual property laws. In this case, Antigua will -- in theory -- be allowed to distribute copies of American DVDs, CDs and games and software with impunity. 'That has only been done once before and is, I believe, a very potent weapon,' Antigua's lawyer Mark Mendel said. 'I hope that the United States government will now see the wisdom in reaching some accommodation with Antigua over this dispute.'"
I bet the Mafiaa Won't Like That (Score:1, Funny)
Time for allofmp3.com.ag (Score:5, Funny)
Catch you later... (Score:5, Funny)
As I sit looking out my window across a lovely but frigid blanket of white to the filthy, freezing slush on the street and notice a pedestrian being blown off the sidewalk by an icy, knife-edged wind, I think of setting up a nice little pirate factory to legally crank out stuff that will drive the RIAA to frothing, incoherent rage on one of the nicer Caribbean islands.
And a drink. A drink with an umbrella in it. Could life be better?
Time to use those airmiles (Score:3, Funny)
Pfft... 21 Million? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:wha?! (Score:5, Funny)
Also, "holy shit" is redundant because right now in every office in Hollywood, overpaid cocaine soaked executives are making that very same exclamation.
Well, not all of them will be saying "holy shit." Some will simply be saying "shit", referring to what they just did in their pants.
-mcgrew
PS- everyone should now go out and sell all their Sony stock. Not because this will make the price of Sony stock drop, just because Sony is evil and this is as good an excuse as any.
Re:wha?! (Score:5, Funny)
Pirates of the Caribbean (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Time to use those airmiles (Score:1, Funny)
right in time (Score:2, Funny)
i think antigua should give that sucker away for free
simply because, a caribbean nation pirating a movie called pirates of the caribbean is just too f***ing funny
Re:Time for allofmp3.com.ag (Score:5, Funny)
Re:yea,, December 27th, a day which will go DOWN (Score:5, Funny)
ANTIGUITY
let me blow your mind (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Hah. (Score:2, Funny)
And the Beatles played what genre of music, rock and roll, invented by American blacks, as was its forebear, the Blues. So let's run down the genre's of music American blacks have invented - the blues, rock and roll, jazz, rap... I mean come on, let's face it, Europeans have done nothing but ape American innovation when it comes to the last 100 years. And I've not even through in comic books, video games, movies, DVDs... Americans have it all over Europe when it comes to the arts. Europe is culturally dead. In fact, even American cooking is better!
Re:wha?! (Score:5, Funny)
In other news (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Pfft... 21 Million? (Score:4, Funny)