Mark Mendel, who is an attorney representing Antigua and Barbuda in the World Trade Organization disagreement against the United States over online gambling, said that he thinks that the arbitration panel ruling in this matter will be delivered on November 30.
Antigua and Barbuda have filed a $3.4 billion compensation claim with the WTO after the United States was once again found to be in infringement of trade rules because of their online gambling ban that they established. The United States government decided to counter with a $500,000 offer instead.
The United States and Antigua and Barbuda could not settle the matter themselves, so the compensation claim went to the arbitration panel to decide.
When the decision comes out, it will tell how large a sanction Antigua and Barbuda can put on the United States. Another thing it will tell is whether the island nation will be allowed to get that compensation through the suspension of the United States intellectual property rights.
Mendel has said that he feels confident that the arbitration process is going very well for Antigua and Barbuda. He also said that Antigua and Barbuda are in good shape. He went on to say that the arbitration is proceeding nicely and they have done a good job.
Some officials from the United States have said that they believe Antigua and Barbuda’s claim is a little too high and that is why they countered with $500,000. The United States considered that sum to be more reasonable for Antigua’s economic figures.
However, Mendel points out that the online gaming sector, which is part of the economy that is being affected by the ban that the United States has established, is not required to report annual profits in Antigua and Barbuda. So, the nation’s annual economic figures are not reflecting the industry.
Even after the arbitration panel delivers a decision in the matter, Antigua and Barbuda will take their time decided on what they should precisely do with the decision. Mendel has said that the government will probably consult with the online gaming industry to get their input on what they should do before they proceed.
If Antigua and Barbuda are granted the ability to suspend the United States intellectual property rights, they will be able to ignore copyrights on movies, music, software and more to get the compensation that they are owed.
The United States are still in talks with other nations that have claims out on them also, which includes the European Union.