U.S. & International LawU.S. & International Law

  Unilateralism – Section 301, FCPA

Bilateralism – Country to Country, tax

Regionalism – NAFTA, EU, APEC

Multilateralism – UN, NATO, WTO       

Extraterritoriality - U.S. LawsExtraterritoriality - U.S. Laws

Extension of political interests

 Boycotts

Protection: consumers, investors, exporters

  Focus on anti-competitive practices abroadForeign blocking laws

Extension of U.S. Trade LawsExtension of U.S. Trade Laws Why? force open foreign markets   protect domestic firms from low-

priced imports  How?   Section 301 to lower trade barriers   Countervailing Duty Law to end

export subsidies   U.S. Antidumping laws to hinder

home country price fixing

Extension of U.S. Trade LawsExtension of U.S. Trade Laws

Results?

  Some markets opened

  Retaliatory antidumping laws

 

 

U.S. Antidumping LawU.S. Antidumping Law

Prohibits

  predatory pricing of imports   pricing of imports which is “unfair” or not at “normal

value”:- lower than cost- lower than price at home- lower than normal profit

 Goal: keep imports from being price competitive     

U.S. Antidumping LawU.S. Antidumping Law

Impact:  U.S. consumers hurt, producers helped a little  Non-accused imports increase  Countries establish their own laws

     

Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual Property Rights

Copyright

Berne Convention: copyright protection

Uniform Copyright Convention: use of © to gain worldwide protection

Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual Property Rights

Patents

Patent Cooperation Treaty: single international patent application

   Paris Convention: patent protection

Intellectual Property RightsIntellectual Property Rights Issues

U.S. first-to-invent vs. world first-to-file system

WTO TRIPS accord  - national treatment

- 50 year copyrights- trademark protection for well known marks- 20 year patent protection- trade secret protection

International LawInternational Law Employment ModelsEmployment Models

Employment at Will Indefinite Employment

 • Common in U.S.• Common in EU, Japan, other

countries

NB US employment laws are primarily determined by each state

International LawInternational Law Employment ModelsEmployment Models

• Economic, arm’s length • Economic and social relationship between relationship, focus employer and employee on long-term

  • Quit and fire at will • Hard to fire easily  • No severance pay • Often large severance

required • Individual contracts or • Worker agreements

union agreements common common

International Dispute ResolutionInternational Dispute Resolution      Between countries  • Negotiation

• Obey treaties and conventions• Use force

    Trade disputes  • WTO dispute panel

• Explosion of complaints  

International Dispute ResolutionInternational Dispute Resolution    

Private party disputes  litigation-forum shopping, choice of law

clause

mediation/conciliation

Arbitration( binding or not)    

International Dispute ResolutionInternational Dispute Resolution    

       Enforcement of judgments  No requirements beyond

borders for enforcement of litigation

Arbitral awards are enforced