美国行政性版权小额索赔制度革新及借鉴

由于版权作品数字化侵权使用的日益泛化,且现有版权司法救济途径多存在"周期长、举证难、成本高、收益低"的弊端,使得版权人,尤其是中小版权人,很难以较低的维权成本,真正实现其权利的司法保障。鉴于此,美国率先在行政性版权小额索赔制度的革新上作出突破性的示范,于司法体制外另辟蹊径,在版权局之行政性框架内,设置版权小额索赔委员会,专门处理小额版权纠纷。在知识产权保护方面,我国亦存在司法救济效率不高、数字版权侵权泛化的问题,因此,为迎合强化知识产权保护的时代政策,有必要总结美国行政性版权小额索赔制度革新经验,以为我国版权小额索赔问题的解决提供有益的制度借鉴。     

Surrogacy: is it harder to relinquish genes?

Surrogacy has produced some positive outcomes by creating an opportunity for otherwise childless couples to realise their dream of parenthood. However, it has also been problematic, particularly where the surrogate mother fails to relinquish a child born as a result of the surrogacy arrangement. This article examines whether a surrogate mother who is genetically related to the child she delivers is less likely to relinquish the child than one who has no genetic ties. An examination of empirical evidence provides support for this argument. Legislation and case law in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom are examined to determine which, if any, of these jurisdictions take into account the existence, or otherwise, of a genetic link between the surrogate mother and the child she bears. The article concludes that surrogacy legislation should, subject to exceptional circumstances, encourage surrogacy arrangements where the child and the surrogate are not genetically related.     

美国修改《数字千年版权法》的反垄断法解读——以Iphone智能手机的“越狱”“解锁”事件为例

美国修改《数字千年版权法》,使破解IPhone等智能手机,以便转换电信服务提供商;或者安装非IPhone应用程序都成为合法的事情。此事件在知识经济时代中对各国数字版权的保护,防止知识产权的滥用具有一定的代表性。从此事件中可看到,美国修改《数字千年版权法》,打破了原来的关于捆绑电信运营商,不允许兼容其他程序等限制性商业行为,使得以创新和竞争为特征的信息产业,具有继续向前发展的动力。美国修改《数字千年版权法》,对中国反垄断法的实施具有一定指导意义。即在网络经济时代,在保护知识产权的合法垄断权时,中国反垄断法应该禁止知识产权滥用,鼓励创新或动态效率的促进,消费者福利的保护。     

Which bank? A guardian model for regulation of embryonic stem cell research in Australia

In late 2005 the Legislation Review: Prohibition of Human Cloning Act 2002 (Cth) and the Research Involving Human Embryos Act 2002 (Cth) recommended the establishment of an Australian stem cell bank. This article aims to address a lack of discussion of issues surrounding stem cell banking by suggesting possible answers to the questions of whether Australia should establish a stem cell bank and what its underlying philosophy and functions should be. Answers are developed through an analysis of regulatory, scientific and intellectual property issues relating to embryonic stem cell research in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. This includes a detailed analysis of the United Kingdom Stem Cell Bank. It is argued that a "guardian" model stem cell bank should be established in Australia. This bank would aim to promote the maximum public benefit from human embryonic stem cell research by providing careful regulatory oversight and addressing ethical issues, while also facilitating research by addressing practical scientific concerns and intellectual property issues.     

中美实用艺术品著作权保护比较研究——兼论我国实用艺术品著作权保护的路径

实用艺术品的著作权保护问题实质上是如何确立著作权保护范围及标准的问题。我国现行《著作权法》并未将实用艺术品作为受保护客体,但也并未将其排除在著作权保护范围之外。而美国在实用艺术品的著作权保护上于立法层面是非常清晰的,在《1976年版权法》中已明确将其列为受保护客体,美国法院的诸多判例也影响了实用艺术品著作权保护研究的方向。本文梳理了中美两国实用艺术品的著作权保护问题的历史沿革及现状,总结归纳了两国具有代表性的判例,以求通过对比提炼出两国著作权法及司法实践中存在的问题。美国的相关立法及其司法裁判经验对于我国实用艺术品的著作权保护具备重要借鉴价值。     

美国版权侵权刑事责任的评析

美国国会分别于１９９７年和１９９８年通过了《反电子盗窃法》和《数字化千年之际版权法案》两部法律,将版权法、联邦刑法及其相关法律进行部分修正,试图强化对于通过电子方式构成的版权侵权的刑事处罚和对版权人的保护。这两部法律与相关法律一起构建了比较全面的版权刑事保护体系,因此分析美国最新版权侵权的刑事责任的发展,有助我们研究完善版权的刑事责任的法律规定。     

电视节目版式版权保护之法律困境和进路探索

电视台为追求高额利润,对其他电视台深受欢迎的电视节目进行复制、借鉴的情况时有发生。为维护自己利益,某些电视组织开始诉求司法部门给予自己的电视节目版式以法律保护。面对这个问题,欧美国家的法院在保护与否的立场上曾一度持否定态度。但近几年的司法判例结果显示这种立场正在发生变化,认可电视节目版式的版权属性,支持给予保护的观点逐渐占据上风。但电视节目版式版权保护在理论基础上仍存在争议。从已发生之判决来看,对电视节目版式除以版权路径给予保护之外,还可以寻求反不正当竞争法和商标法等相关法律给予保护。     

Does racism affect health? Evidence from the United States and the United Kingdom

Blacks have worse overall health than whites in both the United States and the United Kingdom. However, the relative difference in health between the two groups within each cultural context differs between each context. In this article, we attempt to glean insights into these health disparities. We do so by first examining what is currently known about differences in morbidity and mortality for blacks and whites in the United States and the United Kingdom. We then turn to medical examination data by race and country of birth in an attempt to further untangle the complex interplay of socioeconomic status (SES), race, and racism as determinants of health in the United States and the United Kingdom. We find that (1) longer exposure of blacks to the recipient country is a risk for mortality in the United States but not in the United Kingdom; (2) adjustment for SES matters a good deal for mortality in the United States, but less so in the United Kingdom; (3) morbidity indicators do not paint a clear picture of black disadvantage relative to whites in either context; and (4) were one to consider medical examination data alone, differences between the two groups exist only in the United States. Taken together, we conclude that it is possible that the "less racist" United Kingdom provides a healthier environment for blacks than the United States. However, there remain many mysteries that escape simple explanation. Our findings raise more questions than they answer, and the health risks and health status of blacks in the United States are much more complex than previously thought.     

The legal status of the fetus: an international review

The article examines the way that courts and legislatures in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and Australia have answered questions regarding the legal status of a fetus. These questions have arisen in a variety of legal situations: the article deals with succession, criminal, child protection and negligence law. The conclusion offered is that a fetus has a value and an existence that the law should recognise. This does not mean, however, that in all circumstances the law should protect the interests of the fetus. Law-makers will respond differently to claims made on behalf of a fetus, depending on the context. The fetus does not have a uniform value or character in the eyes of the law. The law makes choices as to the situations in which it will take account of actual or threatened antenatal harm.     

WWWMDs: Cyber-attacks against infrastructure in domestic anti-terror laws

This article compares and contrasts the legislation that would be used to prosecute acts of cyber-terrorism in five western democracies: Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. It argues that each of the four Commonwealth jurisdictions sets too low a threshold for prosecuting acts of cyber-terrorism against electronic and other infrastructure systems. By contrast, the United States has enacted more finely calibrated legislation that sets a much higher threshold for acts of cyber-terrorism deserving life imprisonment.     

The Prior Authorisation Procedure Adopted for the Deliberate Release into the Environment of Genetically Modified Organisms: the Complexities of Balancing Community and National Competences

Abstract: The cornerstone of the Community regulatory framework on this subject is EC Directive 90/220/EEC, as repealed by EC Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (GMO), which is based on a fundamental premise: that in order to prevent the risks caused by the release of genetically modified organisms, GMOs can only be released subject to the grant of a prior authorisation, following a scientific assessment, which confirms that such organisms do not represent a risk to the environment and human health. Yet it is obvious that Member States are not willing to entirely transfer their sovereignty in relation to issues that are of such fundamental importance to environmental protection and human health; at the same time however, the objective of achieving free movement of GMOs implies the establishment of a genuine Community procedure for this sector. The need to strike a balance between these competing demands therefore requires an enormous collaborative effort from national and Community authorities, which, contrary to expectations, has not produced any concrete results as yet. The authorisation procedure that has been developed was intended to bridge the gap between the divergent interpretations of what actually constitutes a biotechnical risk; conversely, it has reached a stasis, and causing protracted delays in the procedures granting authorisations. Admittedly, some changes to the procedure were implemented in 2001, but they were not intended to restructure the general architecture of the procedure established in 1990. Yet are such remedies going to be effective? Or is it time to make a more radical revision of the existing procedures by redistributing the competences on this delay?     

THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD AND THE NEED FOR ITS INCORPORATION INTO A BILL OF RIGHTS

In this article I discuss the failure of most democratic countries to accept or properly implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, despite, except in the case of the United States, having ratified it. I consider the domestic implementation of treaties. I discuss, from an Australian perspective, that country's failure to enact a Bill of Rights and argue that children in Australia have suffered as a result. I also discuss judicial approaches to international law and compare the situation in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand and suggest that even in those countries that do have a Bill of Rights, it is not oriented toward children and therefore does not properly recognize their rights.     

Black Hats and White Hats: Authorisation of Copyright Infringement in Australia and the United States

This article explores the concept of authorisation in relationto the possible liability of manufacturers and suppliers oftechnology if, and when, their technology is used by purchasersor other users to infringe copyright. Cases over the last 30years brought by copyright owners or holders against the manufacturersand suppliers of technology which has the potential to infringecopyright are examined, as well as the differing copyright lawsin Australia and the United States relating to the authorisationof copyright infringement. The article concludes with a discussionon the current legal approaches to authorisation and on possiblefuture approaches.     

Inching toward incrementalism: federalism, devolution, and health policy in the United States and the United Kingdom

In the United States, the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 envisions a significant increase in federal oversight over the nation's health care system. At the same time, however, the legislation requires the states to play key roles in every aspect of the reform agenda (such as expanding Medicaid programs, creating insurance exchanges, and working with providers on delivery system reforms). The complicated intergovernmental partnerships that govern the nation's fragmented and decentralized system are likely to continue, albeit with greater federal oversight and control. But what about intergovernmental relations in the United Kingdom? What impact did the formal devolution of power in 1999 to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have on health policy in those nations, and in the United Kingdom more generally? Has devolution begun a political process in which health policy in the United Kingdom will, over time, become increasingly decentralized and fragmented, or will this "state of unions" retain its long-standing reputation as perhaps the most centralized of the European nations? In this article, we explore the federalist and intergovernmental implications of recent reforms in the United States and the United Kingdom, and we put forward the argument that political fragmentation (long-standing in the United States and just emerging in the United Kingdom) produces new intergovernmental partnerships that, in turn, produce incremental growth in overall government involvement in the health care arena. This is the impact of what can be called catalytic federalism.     

Legal reflections on the Google Print Library Project

Legal context. IP lawyers need a better understanding of theimplications of new technology when advising their clients onlegal strategies for appropriating rents from the exploitationof intellectual property rights in the digital environment.Conversely, clients seeking to ascertain the permissible limitsfor accessing material on the Internet must be made aware ofthe critical distinction between contractual and copyright issues. Key points. Licensing of copyright will continue to be an efficientinstrument for resolving issues relating to compensation andboundaries for permissible use. A sound understanding of thedigital environment will ensure that potential problems associatedwith the scope of the restricted acts under the Copyright, Designsand Patents Act 1988 can be avoided. Lawyers should also beaware of the possible policy developments relating to the exploitationof digital content following the deliberations in the GowersReview. Lawyers should also re-examine the submissions in boththe Grokster and Perfect 10 cases, recognizing the circumstanceswhen copyright arguments raised in other jurisdictions may beimported into the United Kingdom. Practical significance. The absence of any UK legal precedentwith regard to the copyright issues arising from the disputebetween search engine providers and copyright owners providesno excuse for failing to consider how contractual instrumentsmay efficiently resolve issues relating to the appropriationof rents from intellectual property rights. The absence of a‘fair dealing’ exception does not inevitably meanthat, should a similar dispute as that in Google v The Author'sGuild arise in the United Kingdom, a copyright infringementwill have taken place.     

CHOOSE TO HUG,NOT HIT*

This article discusses reasonable chastisement of children as a defense by parents to assault charges. It suggests that its continued retention contravenes the rights of children and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It compares developments in various countries, such as the Scandinavian countries and New Zealand, where the defense has been abolished, as compared with the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where it has been retained. It suggests that its continued retention encourages bullying and violence in schools and in later adult life.     

'My tongue is mine ain': Copyright, the Spoken Word and Privacy

This article shows how under the present legislation in the United Kingdom copyright may exist in speech, in particular in interviews and conversations, provided that the words are recorded and constitute an original work. The argument is illustrated and supported by reference to reported cases from throughout the common law world, as well as to news stories and interviews with individuals ranging from Lord Denning to Michael Jackson. Issues arising from the collection of oral history are also discussed. It is further argued that, in addition to the internal analysis of copyright itself, such protection for the spoken word can be justified by the privacy and personality interests of speakers in the use of what they say.     

ALMOST,BUT NOT QUITE: THE FAILURE OF NEW YORK'S GET STATUTE

The quandary of Jewish women unable to remarry because of their husbands’ refusal to grant them religious divorces is a real problem affecting real people. Husbands are wielding this lopsided power to “extort” money from their wives, obtain favorable child custody settlements, property settlements, and child support payments. The burgeoning divorce rate is certain to exacerbate this problem. Already, this situation has garnered international attention. In the wake of New York's legislative attempt to remedy this problem, countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, have promulgated legislative solutions to this dilemma. New York is the only state in the United States to pass such a statute. Unfortunately, New York's statute is flawed because it is of limited applicability and still allows for situations in which the Jewish wife is civilly divorced but religiously married. This Note proposes amending New York's statute to make it applicable to any and all divorce proceedings and to any barrier to remarriage. This Note will further recommend that the proposed amended statute should be adopted worldwide.     

Data Theft? Cybercrime and the Increasing Criminalization of Access to Data

The use of computers in the commission of crime, so-called ??cybercrime??, presents a considerable challenge to law enforcement. Central to the prosecution of cybercrime is the offence of unauthorised access to a computer, or ??hacking??. Originally conceived of as analogous to trespass, the trend in some jurisdictions has been toward punishing access to computer data per se. This issue also arises under the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime which criminalizes ??offences against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems??. As the criminal law traditionally provides protection only to limited forms of information, the increasing use of the criminal law to protect computer data therefore confers on it a status not enjoyed by information stored in other forms. Drawing upon the laws of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, this article explores the increasing criminalization of access to computer data. It describes the evolution of cybercrime laws and considers ways in which problems of over breadth may be avoided. Questions will also be raised as to the appropriate role of the criminal law in protecting information.     

Differences in Regulatory Frameworks Governing Genetic Laboratories in Four Countries

The purpose of this article is to determine how the heterogeneity of the different regulatory frameworks governing genetic laboratories in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States hinder the international availability of genetic tests. We conclude that a better understanding of the various national standards governing genetic laboratories may help health professionals choose laboratories for referral in an evidence based manner in order to protect the patient's best interests.