The World Trade Organization and Gatt ‘94: : A Guide to the New International Economic Law

Citation

Duckett, B. (1998), "The World Trade Organization and Gatt ‘94: : A Guide to the New International Economic Law", Collection Building, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 46-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/cb.1998.17.1.46.4

GATT ’94 (General Agreement on Trades and Tariffs) and the WTO (World Trade Organization), established in 1995, have jurisdiction over the international trade in goods and services, including financial services, and over the protection of trade in intellectual property rights such as copyright, patents and trademarks. This book, written by a former Treasury minister and a practising barrister, is intended for professionals and company staff concerned with international trade in goods and services.

The book is a little unusual, in the nicest possible way. If I reproduce verbatim the text from the contents page the reader may get a flavour:

Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter which describes the origins of GATT and explains the background to the Uruguay Round and GATT 1994. Chapter 2 deals with the structure of the World Trade Organization. Chapter 3 deals with the Dispute Settlement Body. Chapter 4 deals with the main elements of the Agreement on Intellectual Property (TRIPS) including trade in counterfeit goods and analyses the application of that Agreement to copyright, patents and trademarks respectively. The chapter also deals with the very special and novel provisions regarding enforcements of remedies which are laid down in respect of intellectual property rights. Chapter 5 deals with the extension for the first time of GATT to trade in services. Chapter 6 analyses the position of financial services, such as banking and insurance. Chapter 7 deals with trade in industrial goods. Chapter 8 deals with textiles and clothing including the incorporation of the Multi Fibre Agreement into GATT 1994. Chapter 9 deals with agriculture. Chapter 10 provides three case studies in copyright, banking and trade in clothing. These case studies provide a guide to private sector bodies as to how they may enforce the remedies, both in private law and public law, which are provided by GATT 1994.

End of quote! See what I mean? There is a delightfully old‐fashioned feel to such an informative contents page. Not a lot more need be said. Appendices reproduce relevant extracts from TRIPS and the agreement on services; list the government libraries where the various market access schedules may be seen; and set out the working procedures of the GATT disputes resolution panels.

The book itself is brief; a mere 41 pages cover the ten chapters, and the text is terse, resembling government report style. On the whole it is neat and attractively produced. It is not a textbook, more a pocket book of essential detail. Ideal for the executive briefcase or coat pocket for a quick briefing in the Channel Tunnel or airport lounge. Ideal also for quick reference in a business library.