US Blocking Costa Rican Sugar Trade To Force IP Laws 441
For the last couple of days news has been trickling in about how the US is trying to ram IP laws down Costa Rica's throat by blocking their access to the US sugar market. Techdirt has a good summary of the various commentaries and a related scoop in the Bahamas where the US is also applying IP pressure. "The first is in Costa Rica, which is included in the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Yet like with other free trade agreements that the US has agreed to elsewhere, this one includes draconian intellectual property law requirements. I still cannot understand why intellectual monopoly protectionism — the exact opposite of 'free trade' — gets included in free trade agreements. At least in Costa Rica, a lot of people started protesting these rules, pointing out that it would be harmful for the economy, for education and for healthcare. So the Costa Rican government has not moved forward with such laws. How has the US responded? It's blocking access to the US market of Costa Rican sugar until Costa Rica approves new copyright laws."
"IP La" (Score:2, Funny)
What's "IP La"? In Central America, wouldn't it be "La IP" instead?
Never Fear!!!! (Score:5, Funny)
So that's how it works! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Never Fear!!!! (Score:5, Funny)
That's like saying (at the family barbeque), "we still have McDonald's".
And so (Score:5, Funny)
That government of the corporations
By the corporations
For the corporations
Shall not perish from the Earth
Re:"IP La" (Score:2, Funny)
Look, if we spent all day poking around poorly written summaries and the overall lack of proofreading on this site... then, well... never mind.
Re:So that's how it works! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:So that's how it works! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Free trade (Score:1, Funny)
Quick, someone call Encyclopedia Britannica, National Geographic, NewsWeek, the UN and any other interested parties, Europe just got united to a country!
Seems like you've got the scoop of the millennia, congratulations sir.
Re:So that's how it works! (Score:5, Funny)
Sounds like an American divorce.
Re:Level playing field (Score:3, Funny)
Re:How about, BECAUSE THEY STILL OUR SHIT! (Score:3, Funny)
When they STILL our shit, what do they make? ;)
I know stills are used to produce alcohol and perfume, but our shit sure is not perfume.
Maybe they use it to make our beer? Foreigners claim it tastes like ----.
Ahhh, If we can't laugh at ourselves, what can we laugh at.
Throwback? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Never Fear!!!! (Score:4, Funny)
It's a concession to the corn lobby!
It's a dessert topping *and* a floor wax! (actually, you can probably make both out of corn)
Re:So that's how it works! (Score:5, Funny)
In Soviet Russia, first the women get you, then the power gets you, then you brew the sugar into cheap vodka, then the vodka gets you.
There. You fixed that for me.
Re:"Free" like I say (Score:5, Funny)
Just copyright money. It should make it artificially scarce again.
Re:Never Fear!!!! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"IP La" (Score:2, Funny)
this has nothing to do with online
It's true, I read this in my paper copy of Slashdot that is delivered to my doorstep every morning.
Re:Never Fear!!!! (Score:4, Funny)
The other day, over a Mexican Coca Cola (real sugar), I said to my companion something along the lines of "drink up, this is the ONLY benefit of Free Trade for the common man".
I've seen advertisements for Pepsi "Throwback", which is apparently regular Pepsi, but with real sugar. I almost cried at the realization that we've now come full circle.
Re:Color me underwhelmed. (Score:3, Funny)
They hate our freedom!!