AfterDawn: News

U.S. WTO complaint against China joined by Canada

In an announcement this morning, the Canadian government stated that they will be joining the U.S. WTO complaint against China over copyright infringement and intellectual property protection.

The government said they will be a "third party" in the complaint which was announced earlier this month.



The Department of Foreign Affairs claims that Canada's participation is based on "concerns expressed by Canadian stakeholders on a range of issues related to China’s intellectual property rights regime."

Michael Geist, however, does not agree with the Department's claims. He points out that China only imported $13 million dollars worth of Canadian culture, which is 0.5% of total Canadian culture exports. This fact alone leaves little reasoning behind the coalition except perhaps that Canada has succumbed to U.S. pressure, says Geist.

Although the EU declined to join the complaint when it was filed sources say now that it will, along with Japan, will join the complaints in the coming weeks. We hope this is on their own accord and not because of U.S. pressure.

Source:
Geist

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 29 Apr 2007 17:56

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• 5 comments

• borhan9

  Quote:We hope this is on their own accord and because of U.S. pressure.
  I think they have been pressured into this. Cause the U.S did not have any allies that want to go into this fight with them so they get their neighbors.

  29.4.2007 18:19 #1

• rcrockett

  You're an idiot borhan9.

  30.4.2007 09:27 #2

• lxfactor

  lol Canada wants to help fight because they get music for free and want U.S. against another country! =] side with the enemy huh Canada.

  30.4.2007 19:20 #3

• Paladore

  canada has been presured for a long time by the US about the copywrite problems we have here. The government hasnt taken them seriously because they belive there are bigger problems to be concerned with. I live in a border city and we alot of business is shared between both of us so I understand why canada would be doing this just to shut the US up.

  30.4.2007 23:30 #4

• afbosch

  i live in canada, and i have no false idea that canada was preesure in to it, beside we have a little bush of own up here, harper, a other ass kissing fool for bush,
  
  then when canada file , we now on a black list
  
  Canada is a "haven for pirates" says Microsoft
  3 May 2007
  Corporate giants Microsoft and Apple recently asked the US Government to place Canada on its high priority piracy list arguing that the country was not doing enough to prevent the piracy of it's products.
  
  just a other example of a other counntry trying to tell a other what to do- maybe bush should try clean up his country first, and give people health care and cheap drugs, in stead of help the rich get more money out of people that can less afford it

  5.5.2007 20:47 #5