Electronic information affects on International trade

In a business world today has been considerably change especially applying technology to assist in a business action. In international trade issue technology is necessary such as internet has played an important role in transaction to increase trading of goods services and information rapidly. Because of this, there must be rule or law in related filed support this situation for example not only Intellectual Property law but also Data Protection Law which related to privacy of a person such as a rights to have a privacy in homestead, a rights to collect personal data. One of issues that many counties express concern is privacy in personal data because of a progress of computer which has affected to communication, transfer and connects a variety of information is unlimited of time and places. On the other hand, some people may use technology to infringe others such as Computer Espionage particularly in trade secret can cause major damage for their business.

As a result if this, many countries have realized of the issue and established two international organizations which are The Council of Europe released Convention for the Protection of Individual with regard to the Automatic Processing of Personal Data in 1981 and The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) agreed to have Guidelines Governing the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Data Flows of Personal Data.   

Those guidelines have a substantially effect in many counties has signed COE Convention and adopted principles of the guideline to their domestic law. Furthermore, in 1995 and 1997 EU had legislated Directive 95/46/EC and The Telecommunication Directive in order to encourage coherent principles among members.     

         

UK Social Welfare Reform

After Conservative Party has announced new plan for social welfare on Monday (Oct 4^th) some people may doubt that these can actually enforce. By looking at main idea of it the government consolidates benefits of social welfare which are complicate and different. However, a scale of the reform can be successful because the plan of social welfare of this government will begin in 2013 and overthrow of those probably take 8-10 years while the next election will appoint in 2015 therefore attempting to those change may not possibly complete. In addition willing to solve problem of poverty trap which people who receive an advantage of social welfare will gain more income but working less according to David Cameron the prime minister stated that they will make everyone feels worth to work and also receive worth benefit especially child benefit.  

Nevertheless, this government stated that these change will benefit their country and support transparency and fairness in the society and UK will become commonwealth… a person who works and endeavor will reward…and embezzlement cannot be hiding anymore.

To be continue to follow that UK government with a new major reform perhaps just a dream or can possibly real most people wish these can actually work because UK will become an original of state of welfare that had the best attendant for their people.     

Fair Trade

Fair Trade

Fair Trade is one of a phenomenon for marketing which has the purpose to remove the commercial barrier and help the developing countries about lack of a capacity to contest in an international stage.

Products of Fair Trade are supported by developed countries such as Oxfam in United Kingdom, Fair Trade labeling organizations in Germany and Transfair International in United States and Canada. Those organizations work in cooperation in order to help farmers and sub producers in developing countries out of an unfair trading.

The beginning of Fair Trade occurred in 1940 and 1950 before a logo of Fair Trade was created by Fair Trade labeling organizations (FLO) became well-known.

Some of private and social organizations tried to suggest a new option in marketing world for the developing countries by buying agricultural and handicraft from a real producer in an appropriate price, because they divined that a commercial of liberalism sometimes can cause problems about distribution of profit because of Free Trade may unfair. Moreover, Fair Trade also provides a market-place for producers in order to avoid trading under a liberalism system.

Products of Fair Trade mean products which are produced based on fair trade and the price of the products are higher than standard’s price within one condition that a part of a profit will turn back into support a community such as education, public health or other projects.

Nowadays, beside handicraft and agricultural products, Fair Trade expand to have more variety of products for example tea, coffee, food, rice, wine, beer, ice cream, jewelries due to sport equipment like a football. Fair Trade nowadays become popular especially in Europe.In United Kingdom, a famous department store “Mark and Spenser” or “Tesco” are selling more than 140 different kinds of Fair Trade products.

 Fair Trade perhaps is not the best way to solve the problem for international trade but      

this can be said that it is such a good sign that people in the developed world have realized and attempting to help people in another world who may sometimes have to follow under liberal marketing even they might suffer from an unfairness.

Geographical Indications

Geographical Indications

International trade has many factors; one of important element is an intellectual property or the right to protect a producer. It can be used to protect the rights and also increases a profit to a producer. One of interested kind is Geographical indications – GI.

GI refers to a place name or a country of origin, quality and reputation of goods or product for example (“Champaign”, “Bordeaux”, “Camembert” and “Tequila”). GI related to Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement but actually it is different from other intellectual property rights. As we know, GI rather protect the original one where given a reputation or characteristic of such goods attributable to that origin more than new invention or idea of human mind as trademark, copyrights or patents. GI is set by WTO under TRIPS.

AO is another agreement contained in the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their International Registration under WIPO.

The negotiations on geographical indications of WTO has not make a move as it should be and such a protection in a reality seems inefficiency except wine and alcoholic beverage. WIPO may see the point therefore they attempt to improve AO system to be more effective. There are some interesting points between GI an AO

Firstly, AO under Lisbon Agreement has a registration system to protect within an international level as WTO although tried to set a similar system but has not concluded yet. Besides AO extend to protect for all kind of product but GI provides a level of protection in only wines and spirits. However there are a few number of countries just only 27 countries under AO system meanwhile WTO has more than 170 members.    

Secondly, a cope of a protection, some people said that GI can protect wider than AO and already covered AO but some people said that a scope of protection of AO provide more than GI because not only geographical. In Lisbon Agreement used the word “geographical denominations”   but TRIPS used “indications that identify a good as originating in the territory..." anyhow

Among some arguments at the present time, it can be said that EU is a key and an important player of this. Some readers might have known that EU seems strongly support GI by looking at a reaction on negotiation. However EU has a limitation in registration and protection only wines, spirits and food not cover to another type of products or services. It can be said that both GI and AO still have a restriction at international level and some point still has a resistant from other countries and some of EU such as Germany which may not be surprise if we look at this issue as it adopted from domestic law in France.

Some countries have set domestic law to support GI or AO already because they hope that it will make a profit or benefit for their main export products. Despite an expectation only for an international protection which depends on WTO perhaps is not enough because it still has not found a final solution yet. Support and promotion system in our own country in order to protect a knowledge and value local products seem to be a better way for now. At the same time, we should follow an agreement on WTO or Lisbon which one is suitable as an option for higher protection in an international level.