U.S. International Broadcasting: The Case of Iran

This article is an examination of the current state of U.S. broadcasting to Iran. It also gives an overview of the structure of U.S. international broadcasting. The author illustrates how under the Bush administration, Radio Farda and Voice of America Persian TV were held accountable for helping to destabilize the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, critics, including those in the Pentagon and a number of congressional members, doubted the capacity of Radio Farda, in particular, to carry out such a purpose because of its entertainment focus. Contrary to self-professed declarations of independence and free and objective journalism, the author argues that the U.S. government uses strict editorial control to restrict its broadcasting entities within the boundaries of its foreign policy objectives.     

Commitment and Consequences: Reneging on Cosponsorship Pledges in the U.S. House

We argue that bill cosponsorship in Congress represents an institutional arrangement that provides credibility to commitments of support. We predict that if cosponsorship fosters legislative deals, MCs will only rarely back out on their pledges to support a bill if it comes up for a floor vote, and when they do, these choices will reflect strategic calculations. Further, legislators who violate their cosponsorship agreements will face punishment from colleagues, compromising their ability to gain support for their own bills. We explore the causes and effects of MCs' choices to renege on a pledge by voting no on a bill for which they were a cosponsor, focusing on all cosponsorship decisions in the 101st–108th Houses. The results reveal that patterns of reneging and its consequences are consistent with the idea that cosponsorship functions as a commitment mechanism.     

Technology Competitiveness in Emerging Markets: The Case of the Brazilian Polymer Industry

The Brazilian polymer industry (plastics, rubbers, fibers, adhesives, paints, and varnishes) is the fastest growing segment of the Petrochemical Chain. Since the polymer industry is characterized as science based, the capacity to create technology is vital for its long-range survival in the market. This paper analyzes how Brazilian polymer firms maintain their technological competitiveness, explains the main modes of technology transfer, and evaluates the degree of technological dependence of this industry. The methodology consisted of a database built with data from the Brazilian Patent Office. To confirm the findings, interviews were conducted with staff members from seven Brazilian polymer firms. The data base analysis and the interviews reveal that, in spite of the fact that Research and Development (R&D) and technological innovation have a fundamental role in their competitiveness, the firms are technologically dependent upon foreign suppliers.     

美国的法律家长主义理论与实践

在美国法上,法律家长主义是指法律为了当事人自身的利益而限制其自治。在理论上,对法律家长主义争论主要是从法律经济学和法律价值论两个维度进行的,对家长主义式的规定有无效率、法律是否应保持价值中立和自治这一价值在法律中的地位进行探讨。在实践中,法律家长主义在美国合同法、行政法和宪法中有着广泛的应用,对当事人的缔约自由、表达自由、平等权等进行限制,对市场经济和社会保障中的某些行为予以规制。     

从Feist案看美国数据库的版权保护危机

上世纪90年代初期,Feist案件的审理确立了美国事实作品保护的新准则,否定了先前美国法院依照“额头上的汗水”理论保护该类作品的判例。随着数据库产业的发展,如何保护该类事实作品再次成为焦点问题。Feist案件阐述的重要理念,在新的形势下面临着法律上的巨大挑战。该理念不能从版权法上全面地保护数据库产业制作者的利益,使得美国数据库在版权保护上面临危机。为了弥补版权法上的不足,美国在司法实践中,采用多法结合的模式来全面保护数据库;立法界对是否采用赋予数据库特殊权利的模式来保护该类作品展开了激烈的讨论。     

从美国法例看专利联营的反垄断法规制

本文系统介绍了专利联营的概念、类型及形成原因,从反垄断法的角度分析了专利联营所带来的促进竞争和反竞争的结果,考察了美国专利联营规制的历史发展过程及几个典型案例,分析了专利联营的理论和实践,以期对我国的理论和实践提供借鉴。     

Intended Consequences: Jurisdictional Reform and Issue Control In the U.S. House of Representatives

The power of congressional committees rests in large part on their ability to set the legislative agenda in particular issue areas. But how do committees acquire their issue jurisdictions? Existing research points to informal committee turf wars— not collective reforms—as the roots of jurisdictional allocations (King 1994, 1997). Yet the House of Representatives has made nearly 150 formal changes to its committees' jurisdictions since 1973. We investigated the effects of one prominent instance of extensive jurisdictional changes, the Bolling‐Hansen reforms of 1975, and found that this body of reforms advanced collective goals of improved policy coordination and enhanced information sharing.     

美国产品责任法归责原则的演进

作为侵权责任法重要组成部分的产品责任法,其担当着平衡社会主体之间,尤其是消费者集团与生产者集团之间利益关系的重要角色。美国产品责任法经历了从合同责任到侵权责任,进而由一般侵权责任到特殊侵权责任的发展过程。从历史发展的角度,展现美国商品经济各个时期侵权责任法归责原则的不同表现,分析它们产生的时代背景、理论基础及法律渊源等因素,从而获得了美国产品责任法归责原则纵向发展的概貌、制度特色,从中可以发现对我国产品责任立法的借鉴意义。     

论司法会计理论与舞弊审计理论的分野——兼谈“法务会计”的误解

司法会计理论与舞弊审计理论分属不同学科。介绍中外将司法会计理论与舞弊审计理论的混同情况,探明中外形成＂混同理论＂的不同原因,并重点介绍了中国学界将司法会计理论与舞弊审计理论进行分野的研究成果,指出由于司法会计活动与舞弊审计活动性质不同的两类社会活动,两者理论的混同会导致社会实践的错误,最终会对中国的司法会计事业和审计事业带来危害。同时,揭示了＂法务会计＂理论出于国外＂混同理论＂的来源,分析了＂法务会计＂研究者对司法会计理论的误解。     

美国单边经济制裁的法理检视及应对

单边经济制裁具有单方性、目标性、强制性、多样性的特点。WTO对单边经济制裁的实施采取了限制的态度,但依然无法阻止一些成员依据其法律制度对他国或地区实施单边经济制裁。近年来,美国依据其国内法,对中国启动调查并实施了相应的单边经济制裁举措,这些措施违反了WTO规则,背离了联合国大会决议的精神和国际法的基本原则。中国政府采取的适当反制措施契合国际法的基本原则,符合WTO规则,是维护多边贸易体制、反制美国单边主义的合法选择。     

美国雇佣自由规则在判例法中的确立及启示

在修改《劳动合同法》呼声愈演愈烈的背景下,不少学者将目光投向美国雇佣自由规则。在目前主要的工业化国家中,仅有美国适用雇佣自由规则,其私人部门中的雇主一般可随时以任何理由解雇雇员。19世纪中期前,不同州的法院或同一州不同系统的法院或适用一年雇佣规则,或适用劳动报酬规则,或适用雇佣自由规则处理劳动争议。19世纪末20世纪初,雇佣自由规则在判例法中得以确立,是学术理论、法律制度、经济制度、社会观念、工会因素、司法体制综合作用之结果。借鉴美国经验可知,我国不宜适用过于宽松的解雇保护制度,应继续将稳定劳动关系作为主要价值目标,并遵循社会公共利益>职业稳定权>经营管理权之法益保护位阶。     

美国德尔蒙特公司诉冯克案探析

一、引 言 不可避免披露原则(the In-evitable Disclosure Doctrine)是美国法院为保护商业秘密不被潜在披露(threatende Misap-propriation)侵害而逐步创立的禁令救济原则,用于禁止雇员在其专业领域内为前雇主的竞争者工作。在这类案件中,被告大都是掌握原告重要商业秘密的前雇员,离职后准备或已经就职于原告的竞争对手,其新的工作将使其不可避免地依靠或者利用原告的商业秘密,因此原告请求法院发布禁令,禁止被告从     

航空产品责任案件管辖权的确定:美国实践及其启示

航空产品责任是美国乃至全球航空事故索赔诉讼的一个难题。该类案件具有显著的国际性特征,因此决定了其国际管辖权的分配。美国法院在航空产品责任领域适用属人管辖理论,基于当事人和国家利益,针对四类产品责任案件,积极利用持续业务活动联系因素、代理机构理论、商业流通标准、公平正义传统观念,抑制适用不方便法院原则,灵活调控案件,使其回归本国管辖。中国制造的C919大飞机不久将进入国际市场,为防范航空产品责任诉讼泛滥和防止与中国有关的案件流向他国法院,中国司法实践可借鉴美国经验,对域外发生的航空产品责任案件,谨慎适用不方便法院原则,将其视为一种例外规则,适度扩张管辖权,做到管拒自如,以保护航空器制造商和国家的核心权益。     

Congress,The U.S. Supreme Court And Must-Carry Policy: A Flawed Economic Analysis

The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, which requires cable operators to carry the signals of local broadcast television stations, was hailed by supporters as a measure that would preserve the economic viability of the local independent broadcaster by unlocking the anticompetitive grip that the local cable company places on access to its system. In upholding the Act in 1997, the United States Supreme Court seemed to ignore the degree to which the cable and broadcast industries have become vertically integrated. In the end, local independent stations became economically viable not because they were guaranteed carriage on a cable system, but because they represented a practical programming outlet for conglomerate firms with large investments in content production. This article recommends that Congress repeal the Act.     

The Judicial Transformation of the State: The Case of U.S. Trade Policy, 1974–2004

The recent shift in state policies from Keynesianism to neoliberalism was accompanied by a transformation in state structures. The case of trade liberalization in the United States reveals that this structural transformation is of a judicial nature. In 1974, supporters of free trade successfully shifted authority over the management of protectionist claims from Congress to quasi-judicial bodies in the U.S. executive; in 1994 , they successfully strengthened the dispute settlement mechanisms of the World Trade Organization. This judicial transformation indicates a shift from sites where decisions are made by way of political negotiations to sites where judges preside over legal disputes. In the article, I identify the political origins of these judicial transformations and discuss the factors that make judicial sites more favorable to neoliberal policies than political sites.     

美国知识产权政策的调控——基于经贸危机的影响谈起

美国的知识产权政策是一个多层次复杂的系统,将知识产权领域的大部分内容与美国经济和科技政策有机地结合在一起,这与美国的思维方式和意识形态有关,但是,美国政府将之上升到战略的地位上,却是缘于“经贸危机”的影响。由于“经贸危机”严重威胁到美国的国际地位,美国政府对此经过深刻剖析,认识到知识产权问题是根源所在,通过对知识产权政策进行改革与修订,美国的国家竞争力得到了迅速提升。为了更深刻地了解经贸危机对美国知识产权政策的影响,本文主要研究以专利权的授予为知识产权的产出内容、以专利技术的产业化为商用内容、以针对专利权的保护为保护内容的美国知识产权政策在经贸危机发生前后的变化。     

美国2001年信息技术和产业立法趋势

3月28日，美国国会互联网政策联络小组（Congressional Internet Caucus）并列主席，众议员里克·布歇尔（Rick Boucher）在一次政策研讨会上作了关于信息技术立法的报告。现根据其报告，结合其他调研，对美国国会2001年信息技术和产业领域的立法动态概述如下。一、隐私权问题无疑是2001年的最大政策热点去年以来，隐私权问题日益成为互联网政策的最大热点。其触发因素有二：（1）欧盟在隐私权问题上长期向美国施压，不惜以贸易战相威胁，终于在去年促使美与欧盟达成“信息安全港”协议。（2）美国内消费者和消费者权益组织对包括美国在线…     

The Potential Jamaican Impact of Criminal Deportees from the U.S.

ABSTRACT

Using data collected on Jamaican criminal deportees and data from the U.S. census and the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, annual remittances losses to Jamaica resulting from deportation are estimated to be $1.9 million. Murders and reported rapes in Jamaica are estimated to be 5% higher due to criminal deportation. We estimate there are 84,749 Jamaican-born illegal aliens in the U.S. and Jamaican-born illegal aliens are 45% less likely to commit crimes than legally admitted aliens. We demonstrate that criminal deportation is unlikely to rise in the near future and U.S. gains from deportation are greater than Jamaican losses.     

Patenting and Invention Activity of U.S. Scientists and Engineers in the Academic Sector: Comparisons with Industry

Analyses have been performed of the patenting and invention activity of U.S. scientists and engineers (S&Es) in the academic sector and comparisons have been made with their counterparts in industry. The analyses are based upon survey questions concerning patent applications, grant awards and commercialization outcomes from two 1995 National Science Foundation (NSF) nationally representative workforce surveys. A series of new indicators – patent activity rates, patent activity shares and patent success rates – has been defined and utilized to examine patent activity by employment sector, educational field, demographic variables, status and location of university faculty, technological area, and selected S&E job characteristics. It is recommended that NSF collect data on patenting activity, including commercialization outcomes, in its surveys of the S&E workforce at least every four years. Data should also be collected on university-industry collaboration in patent activity in the U.S., and between S&Es in the U.S. and other countries.