The US Government is up in arms against the Caribbean island of Antigua’s plans to run a ‘legal’ piracy site that would sell music, movies and software but that ignores copyright law.
The US had already warned Antigua not to press ahead with its plans but earlier this week the former British colony was granted leave by the World Trade Organisation to suspend US Intellectual property rights.
The permission was granted as a result of the US barring its citizens from using gambling sites based in the Caribbean nation and its high commissioner in London said that the country reserved the right to carry out its threat, although its aim is to reach a negotiated settlement.
The US and Antigua have been tussling for years over the ability of Americans to use online casinos based on the tiny island. US laws have long been interpreted to mean that Internet gambling is illegal if it crosses state lines.
The World Trade Organisation, however, has come down on Antigua’s side. In 2007, it allowed the island to draw $21 million a year’s worth of “nullification or impairments” from the United States as a penalty for the continuing refusal of the US to allow American customers to place their online bets in Antigua.
In addition, if Antigua does set up the media download site it would be legal for UK-based internet users to buy films and music from it as long as the files are sold in the local currency and it is not actively promoted to foreign subscribers or visitors
To be legal, the island’s authorities would also have to set it up in a way that would not divulge where the user was based so they could say they were ignorant of their location.