In 2012, Australia became the world’s first nation to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products.This public health measure has been challenged in a number of fora, including at the WTO. This chapter focuses on the intellectual property issues of the WTO dispute, and specifically deals...

Established in 1995, the World Trade Organization (WTO) was the culmination of half a century of global trade liberalization achieved under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Subsequent agreements to achieve further liberalization — and to establish rules for...

Bangladesh-India trade dispute over India’s imposition of anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh’s lead acid battery export is a significant event in the history of World Trade Organization’s (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism. After 10 years of WTO’s establishment, this was the first instance...

The WTO dispute settlement system is in crisis, endangering the future of the organization. The proximate reason for alarm is the dwindling number of Appellate Body (AB) members, the result of the United States blocking new appointments as the terms of sitting members expire. The AB crisis...

National debates over policies that affect the flow of digital information are heating up as censorship, surveillance, control over personal data, and requirements to store data locally have emerged as contentious political issues. In the coming years, governments will need to carefully craft...

The recently released opinion delivered by Advocate-General Hogan in case C-872/19P (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela v. Council) addressed an unprecedented issue in ECJ’s caselaw, namely the legal standing of third States in an action for annulment under Article 263,paragraph 4, of the Treaty...

In view of the increasing concern over global efforts to ensure equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines, India and South Africa presented a proposal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in October 2020 seeking a waiver of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in order to increase access...

Vietnam is the second Asian country, after Singapore, to sign a trade and investment agreement with the European Union (“EU”). While opinions regarding its desirability from a human rights perspective differ, it should be noted that the EU is the 5th largest direct investor in Vietnam,...

The WTO utilizes the trade dispute settlement mechanism in accordance with the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU). As a WTO member, Russia has the right to uphold its trade interests by means of this instrument