US Ignores Unwelcome WTO IP Rulings

Eye Log writes "The United States is a big fan of leaning on other countries to tighten IP and copyright protection, but has a tendency to ignore its own obligations when it doesn't get its way. 'Two ongoing cases illustrate the point. First, the European Union is pushing for the US to change a pair of rules that it calls "long-standing trade irritants." Despite World Trade Organization rulings against it, the US has not yet corrected either case for a period of several years... Apparently, it's easy to get hot and bothered when it's industries from your country that claim to be badly affected by rules elsewhere. When it comes to the claims of other countries, though, even claims that have been validated by the WTO, it's much easier to see the complexity of the situation, to spend years arguing those complexities before judges, and to do nothing even when compelled by rulings.'"

Proper syntax

[suso]

<?xml version="1.0">
<comment>
<sarc>Yeah, but everyone knows that Irish music sucks so its just not the same as when people copy Brittney Spears.</sarc>
</comment>

Uh oh

[dingo8baby]

This just in... Al Gore is pissed.

Lack of Campaign Funding

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

If the WTO wants American politicians to listen them, then they need to pony up with the 'campaign funding' like everyone else.

Well

[phoenixwade]

The Federal government here in the US is allowing corporate interests to screw us, it's citizens, why not the rest of the world too? At least it's consistent.

Re:IP stakes are "increasing"?

[Foobar of Borg]

but the voracity of their claims extend only as far as the walls of their ivory towers.

The veracity of their claims only extends to the walls of their ivory towers, but the voracity extends throughout the whole world :-)

Re:Proper syntax

[Anonymous Coward]

no, no, no! use the "tone" attribute on the "comment" tag!

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[WindowlessView]

It's hypocritical for representatives of the US government to lambaste other countries for WTO "violations", when the US Government turns a blind eye to infringement happening in their own country.

In the words of our Vice President: So?

Re:Uh oh

[exploder]

URGENT NEWS ALERT! United States applies double standard to international dispute!

Re:Uh oh

[The End Of Days]

URGENT NEWS ALERT! Europe upset that over 200 years later, US still won't do what they want.

Re:Proper syntax

[arotenbe]

Hah!

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<comment xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xslashdotcomment">
<phrase style="voice-tone:sarcasm;">Yeah, but everyone knows that Irish music sucks so its just not the same as when people copy Brittney Spears.</phrase>
</comment>

Re:Uh oh

[emaname]

This (the US) is the country that perfected the robber barons, exploitation of the masses to benefit the wealthy, elite upper class, and gave the world MICROSOFT.

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Bollywood curvy indian women - very hot. Skeletal hollowood freaks - not so hot.

Yeah, but remember this one thing

[Gazzonyx]

This (the US) is the country that perfected the robber barons, exploitation of the masses to benefit the wealthy, elite upper class, and gave the world MICROSOFT.

To be fair, though, Microsoft then gave us "Bob".

Re:Sigh

[swordgeek]

Classic joke: How do you tell the difference between a Canadian and an American travelling abroad?

The Canadian only has _one_ maple leaf on his backpack.

Re:Uh oh

[sumdumass]

URGENT NEWS UPDATE: A ship anchor dragged across communications cables, struggling smaller country, Antigua reports by carrier pigeon that they lost all Internet connectivity. They are considering implementing a RFC 1149 [ietf.org] compliant pigeon net as a stop gap.

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[tsotha]

Yeah, sure, but you saddled us with William Shatner. We're not budging on the lumber until you take him back.

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[Weedlekin]

"The Revolutionary War took place due to a foreign "government" trying to rule US citizens."

Because, as we all know, the US was established _before_ that war, and everybody was a citizen of it, hence the fact that the later civil war against something called "The Confederacy" was a fiction invented by pseudo-historians to sell books. New Mexico and Texas were of course always part of that US, and not, as these pseudo-historians claim, Mexican territories at that time.

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[KDR_11k]

Should add a policy to kill the judge, just for completeness.

Re:Uh oh

[Anonymous Coward]

URGENT NEWS ALERT! America upset that Europe still will not be 'grateful' for the USA turning up at the end of both WWI and WWII and declaring itself the winner.

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[rasilon]

It's pretty much a standing joke in the EU, that there's a hypothetical department that comes up with stupid rules just so that everyone can laugh at the British for trying to implement them when every other country knows not to bother...

Re:And you are surprised because ... ?

[neomunk]

Antigua? Isn't that the country that has recently swore allegiance to Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein's ghost?

I overheard a chance conversation between Dick Cheney and (MP&RI)AA's consiglieres, and they're worried about recent evidence that Antigua has nearly completed a WMD program of some kind (probably something to do with coconuts; dangerous biological weapons, those coconuts) and must be brought to compliance.

Re:I'll say it again

[freedom_india]

Definitely Clinton. I mean come on, he got a good blowjob from a sexy young girl, and LIED to congress about it!
OH MY GOD! Can you believe it?
He lied to his family, his friends and betrayed the whole country!
Because of his lies, the pope died and a famine ravaged the south.
Because he lied, Bin Laden got mad and blew up planes and towers.
What a corrupt man.
He ought to be sentenced to death for manslaughter.

aaahhhhh.. now i have released my whole day's tension.
Now what was it you were talking about??