WTO, Porn, Online Casinos, and U.S.A.

[Giorgio_Xo]

An interesting ruling came out of the World Trade Organization (WTO) where several Caribean online casinos sued the U.S. for unfair business practise and won. The WTO has the power to force the U.S. to legalize access to online casinos for American citizens.

This could be very interesting defense route for online porn in the future. While the U.S. government is moving to ban or stiffle this legitimate business, suing the U.S. at the WTO would be a good tactic in the future should this government decided to violate our right to do business. Porn is legal international product.

That's all. Discuss.

[body]

interesting

[polish_aristocrat]

Very interesting news.
But as usual this thread is not popular, since there are no "owned", or "pic" words in the title...

[TheJimmy]

Originally posted by polish_aristocrat
Very interesting news.
But as usual this thread is not popular, since there are no "owned", or "pic" words in the title...

true nuff, should repost with above mentioned words and see if it gets more views...

[Giorgio_Xo]

Originally posted by polish_aristocrat
Very interesting news.
But as usual this thread is not popular, since there are no "owned", or "pic" words in the title...

How is this?
Owned!

[Basic_man]

Originally posted by body
interesting

DRAMA timez :D

[HS-Trixxxia]

I'd like to know others' opinions on this....Bump!

[sperbonzo]

The problem is going to be imposing that ruling on US legislators....that is going to take YEARS of negotiating IMO. There are jurisdictional issues that will only be resolved with the same kind of give and take that is used for any of the WTO resolutions being implimented. I wouldn't espect to see any laws changing as a result of this ruling for at least two to three years.

[Giorgio_Xo]

Originally posted by sperbonzo
The problem is going to be imposing that ruling on US legislators....that is going to take YEARS of negotiating IMO. There are jurisdictional issues that will only be resolved with the same kind of give and take that is used for any of the WTO resolutions being implimented. I wouldn't espect to see any laws changing as a result of this ruling for at least two to three years.

I agree implimentation would be slow, but there are set time limits to a WTO ruling.

Here is an additional question: Can it be used to overturn current definitions of local obscenity?

A video legal in Germany, U.K., Holland, California sold internationally over the internet.

Local obscenity laws would regulate international commerce. This a power that local and state governments don't have.

Since international treaties supersede local laws (U.S. Constitution), Puritan counties in Ohio couldn't enforce their medieval laws.

[sperbonzo]

Originally posted by Giorgio_Xo


I agree implimentation would be slow, but there are set time limits to a WTO ruling.

Here is an additional question: Can it be used to overturn current definitions of local obscenity?

A video legal in Germany, U.K., Holland, California sold internationally over the internet.

Local obscenity laws would regulate international commerce. This a power that local and state governments don't have.

Since international treaties supersede local laws (U.S. Constitution), Puritan counties in Ohio couldn't enforce their medieval laws.

It will be very interesting to see how it goes. I would think that 10th amendment issues will be the most ticklish; although the passages regarding international treaties apply, there are constitutional scholars who could argue that the commerce is taking place locally, not over an international border per se, and therefore does not qualify. Also watch as many far eastern and european countries with ever-tightening restrictions on internet porn also jump into the fray.
If you think that laws on porn are severe in certain parts of the US, you should see what they are like in at least 6 or7 other countires that I know of......make the strictest US statutes look lax! Gambling does not carry nearly as many sociological and cultural hurdles as porn does internationally.