EC on parallel imports

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

This was the EC comment on parallel imports, as they relate
to electronic commerce:


http://www.tacd.org/recommendations.doc


The question of parallel imports, i.e. the exhaustion of
exclusive rights (Recommendation No. 8), remains very sensitive.
The TRIPs Agreement leaves it up to the WTO Members whether or
not to allow parallel importation. The European Commission has
commissioned, in the area of trademarks, a study on the impact of
parallel imports which was discussed with the interested parties
in April 1999. The European Commission is currently evaluating
the outcome of the study and the comments received in order to
review the current system of regional exhaustion in the
Community. In this respect it has to be noted that the TABD
expressed its opposition to the international exhaustion of
intellectual property rights. 



-- 
James Love / Director, Consumer Project on Technology
http://www.cptech.org / love@cptech.org
P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
voice 202.387.8030 / fax 202.234.5176