Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 20:47:47 GMT Server: WebSitePro/1.1h Accept-ranges: bytes Content-type: text/html Last-modified: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 20:47:47 GMT Content-length: 3900
Home | What's Hot! | Agency Links | About our Firm
Global Technology Agreements
During the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Singapore earlier this month, participating countries were able to reach agreement on the terms of an Information Technology Agreement which is designed to eliminate duties by the year 2000 on global information technology products such as semiconductors, telecommunications equipment and computers (hardware and software). For the agreement to formally take effect, 90% of the countries participating will have to ratify it.
Separately late last week, an information age copyright pact was also signed. It will bolster protection against software piracy. Music recordings were covered in a separate agreement. For both these agreements, as well, ratification by the individual countries' governing bodies is required for entry into effect. A third topic was the extension of copyright protection to information contained in Internet databases but it was so controversial that the issue had to be tabled for future consideration. The dispute is over how to distinguish temporary copies (which result when browsing a web page) from those which are permanent as the result of a data download.
Copyright © 1997 S.K. Ross & Assoc., P.C.