WIPO comments on Antigua WTO ruling

An interesting debate has stirred over the WTO's recent ruling allowing Antigua to suspend copyright protections on certain US goods as part of a dispute resolution on online gambling. (NYTimes; Howard Knopf) The Antigua Sun reported last week on comments made by the director of the Copyright Law Division of WIPO, Jorgen Blomqvist, who raised concerns that while such suspensions might be allowed under the WTO, Antigua might nevertheless be in violation of the WIPO-administered Berne Convention if it suspended copyright protection for US goods. According to yesterday's Bridges.org, WIPO is now distancing itself from those comments, and legal experts are weighing in on the question.