Ans 1) The structure of the WTO is dominated by its highest authority, the Ministerial Conference, composed of representatives of all

WTO members, which is required to meet at least every two years and which can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements.

The day-to-day work of the WTO, however, falls to a number of subsidiary bodies; principally the General Council, also composed of all WTO members, which is required to report to the Ministerial Conference. As well as conducting its regular work on behalf of the Ministerial Conference, the General Council convenes in two particular forms - as the Dispute Settlement Body, to oversee the dispute settlement procedures and as the Trade Policy Review Body to conduct regular reviews of the trade policies of individual WTO members.

Dispute settlement at the World Trade Organisation The Understanding on Dispute Settlement at the WTO provides WTO Members with a set legal framework for resolving disputes that arise in implementing WTO agreements. Ideally disputes are resolved through negotiations. If this is not possible, WTO Members can request a Panel to settle the dispute. The Panels report can also be appealed before the WTO Appellate Body on questions of law. If a Member does not comply with the recommendations from dispute settlement, than trade compensation or sanctions, for example in the form of increases in customs duties, may follow. Many WTO members, including the EU, make active use of this system so that violations of trade rules are corrected. However, the EU only initiates a dispute settlement case where other ways of finding a solution have not been productive. Each of the four plurilateral agreements of the WTO - those on civil aircraft, government procurement, dairy products and bovine meat - establish their own management bodies which are required to report to the General Council.

Ans 2) Although existing labour standards vary from country to country, depending on the stage of development, per capita income, political, social, and cultural conditions and institutions, efforts have been made to identify and achieve consensus on a group of so-called core labour standards that ideally should apply universally. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2000) there are eight fundamental International Labour Organization Conventions that form the basis of consensus among the ILOs constituents. These Include: (1) Prohibition of forced labour (ILO Convention No. 29 and 105); (2) Freedom of association and protection of the rights to organize and to collective bargaining (No. 87 and 98); (3) Equal remuneration for men and women for work of equal value (No. 100); (4) Non discrimination in employment and occupation (No. 111); and (5) Minimum age of employment of children and abolition of the worst forms of child labour (No. 138 and 182).

International labour standards refer to conventions agreed upon by international actors, resulting from a series of value judgments, set forth to protect basic worker rights, enhance workers job security, and improve their terms of employment on a global scale. ...

The influence of international labour standards on the world trade In june 1986 the us raised the question of worker rights at the preparatory committee of gatt for the next round of international trade negotiations to be launched later that year. The American delegation requested the other parties to consider possible ways of dealing with worker rights issue in the gatt so as to ensure that expanded trade benefits all workers in all countries. Unfortunately, the initiative failed. The subject of worker rights was not included in the ministerial declaration that launched the uruguay trade round . in September 1986 The European parliament endorsed the concept of a gatt social clause in a resolution concerning the new round. During 1987 debate in the gatt preparatory committee, it was evident that the American proposal had been misconstructed as an attempt to cancel out the comparative advantage of the developing countries. Even today, there are some who suspect that the push for worker rights is simply a political response to the US, huge trade defecit.

Ans 3) Intellectual Property (IP) is about far more than just Patents. There are four main types of IP rights which you can use to protect your inventions or creations. You may also choose to protect your IP in other ways, for example, by using a confidentiality agreement. Patents Patents protect what makes things work - like what makes a wheel turn or the chemical formula of your favourite fizzy drink.

Trade marks Trade marks are signs (like words and logos) that distinguish goods and services in the marketplace.

Designs Designs protect the appearance of a product/logo, from the shape of an aeroplane to a fashion item

Copyright Copyright is an automatic right which applies when the work is fixed, that is written or recorded in some way.

Other protection Intellectual Property (IP) covers a wide range of subjects and you may find that you can protect your idea by another right.

Confidentiality agreements (CDAs) CDAs (also known as non-disclosure agreements) can be used to protect know-how or trade secrets

Trade secrets There is no legal requirement for you to file a patent, you could decide to keep your invention secret but if it enters the public domain then you may lose your rights to it.

Geographical indications A place name is sometimes used to identify a product. This geographical indication does not only say where the product was made. More importantly, it identifies the products special characteristics, which are the result of the products origins.

Why Are Intellectual Property Rights Important? Intellectual property (IP) contributes enormously to our national and state economies. Dozens of industries across our economy rely on the adequate enforcement of their patents, trademarks, and copyrights, while consumers use IP to ensure they are purchasing safe, guaranteed products. We believe IP rights are worth protecting, both domestically and abroad. This is why:

Intellectual Property Creates and Supports High-Paying Jobs Intellectual Property Drives Economic Growth and Competitiveness Strong and Enforced Intellectual Property Rights Protect Consumers and Families Intellectual Property Helps Generate Breakthrough Solutions to Global Challenges Intellectual Property Rights Encourage Innovation and Reward Entrepreneurs

Bringing all of these important and diverse points together is the fact that protecting IP is a non-partisan issue that is shared by a broad coalition of interests. These rights are embraced by all sectors of industrysmall, medium and large companies alikeand by labor organizations, consumer groups, and other trade associations we bring together.

Ans 6) Copyright is a form of protection provided to the authors of "original works of authorship" including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works, both published and unpublished. The 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to reproduce the copyrighted work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work, to perform the copyrighted work publicly, or to display the copyrighted work publicly.

A patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the Patent and Trademark Office. The term of a new patent is 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States or, in special cases, from the date an earlier related application was filed, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. US patent grants are effective only within the US, US territories, and US possessions

Copyright law of India

The Copyright Act, 1957(Act No. 14 of 1957) governs the laws & applicable rules related to the subject of copyrights in India. Copyright Law in the country was governed by the Copyright Act of 1914, was essentially the extension of the British Copyright Act, 1911 to India, and borrowed extensively from the new Copyright Act of the United Kingdom of 1956. All copyright related laws are governed by the Copyright Act, 1957. The Copyright Act today is compliant with most international conventions and treaties in the field of copyrights.

The Copyright Act recognises eight economic rights of the Authors of any literary, dramatic or musical work which include:

The right of reproduction; The right of dissemination; The right to exhibition; The right to communicate work to the public; The right to recitation, performance and presentation; The right to broadcasting; The right to communicate through visual or sound recording and The right to communicate by broadcast transmissions.

Ans 7) The main objectives of WIPO are to increase respect for intellectual property (industrial property and copyrights) as well as to promote its protection and use around the world through international cooperation. WIPO facilitates the filing of requests for patents, trademarks, industrial designs and models. A great part of WIPO's activities and resources are devoted to technical assistance to developing countries.

The WIPO main functions are: assisting campaigns development to improve IP protection all over the world and to harmonize national legislations in this field; signing international agreements on IP protection; applying the administrative functions of the Paris and Berne Unions; rendering technical and legal assistance in the field of IP; collecting and disseminating the information, conducting researches and publishing their results; ensuring the work of the services facilitating the international IP protection; applying any other appropriate actions.

Ans 8) Why Register Internationally? For individuals and businesses whose products or services are internationally traded or globally recognizable (or seek global recognition), it may be of utmost importance to have recourse against trademark infringers abroad. In many countries it is customary to take advantage of the success of a foreign business goods or services b y manufacturing locally goods or services of lesser quality and blatantly communicating to the local customers that the origin of these goods or services is the foreign business or that the foreign business has authorized or endorsed the sale these goods or services. The Madrid International trademark registration system was devised to address this and make it easier and cheaper to register, maintain and police marks internationally.