In
The Protection Against Unfair Competition in the WTO TRIPS Agreement, Christian Riffel offers an account of the potential which Article 10bis of the Paris Convention has for the world trading system. In particular, the author explores what hard law obligations emerge and examines a possible application to unsettled issues, such as core labour standards and traditional knowledge.
Article 10bis embodies unfair competition law in a nutshell. The TRIPS Agreement incorporates this Article into the World Trade Organization, thus making unfair competition law a discipline of international trade law. By providing an effective enforcement mechanism against unfair competition, the WTO upholds ‘honest practices’ in the course of trade, alleviating enforcement deficits in other areas of international law.
Christian Riffel, Ph.D. (2014), University of Bern, is a lecturer in law at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and Co-Director of the Master of Laws (LLM) in International Law and Politics. He is one of the primary contributors to the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law and Assistant Editor of the New Zealand Yearbook of International Law.
PART I INTRODUCTION
I DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM
II INTERPRETATION OF WTO PROVISIONS
III COURSE OF THE LEGAL ANALYSIS
PART II ARTICLE 10BIS AND THE WTO
I ARTICLE 2.1 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
II ARTICLE 10BIS(1) AND (2) OF THE PARIS CONVENTION (1967)
PART III ARTICLE 10BIS AND CORE LABOUR STANDARDS
I BREACH OF LAW AS AN ACT OF UNFAIR COMPETITION
II ENFORCEMENT OF CORE LABOUR STANDARDS BY ARTICLE 10BIS OF THE PARIS CONVENTION
III CONCLUSIONS
PART IV ARTICLE 10BIS AND TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
I INTRODUCTION
II CONTRACT-BASED PROTECTION
III PROTECTION BY ARTICLE 39 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT
IV PROTECTION BY ARTICLE 10BIS OF THE PARIS CONVENTION
V CONCLUSIONS
PART V ARTICLE 10BIS AND EUROPEAN UNION LAW
I INTRODUCTION
II REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO THE NORM
III CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
IV REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO THE TREATY
V CONCLUSIONS
PART VI FINAL CONCLUSIONS
All interested in international trade, competition and IP law, and anyone concerned with indigenous issues and labour rights.