From today’s edition of the New York Times:
In an unusual ruling on Friday at the World Trade Organization, the Caribbean nation of Antigua won the right to violate copyright protections on goods like films and music from the United States — an award worth up to $21 million — as part of a dispute between the countries over online gambling. . . .
Yet the ruling is significant in that it grants a rare form of compensation: the right of one country, in this case Antigua, to violate intellectual property laws of another — the United States — by allowing it to distribute copies of American music, movie and software products.
Pretty damn incredible. I’ve always maintained that software piracy is most usefully viewed as an (albeit involuntary) investment by the metropolis in developing world innovation and creativity. Let’s keep an eye on this one.
Technorati Tags: antigua, caribbean, piracy
[...] the confusing issues that the World Trade Organization tries to work out. And, as Georgia recently pointed out, their rulings are often made on a case by case basis. But while Antigua wins ‘piracy [...]