Online Gambling Talks Again between United States and Antigua

Representatives from both the United States and Antigua are supposed to meet today and discuss the online gambling issues between the two countries. The World Trade Organization already made their arbitration ruling but apparently the two countries still have much to discuss. It was reported on Caribbean360's website that the finance minister to Antigua and Barbuda, Errol Cort, went to the United States to meet with Susan Schwab. She is from the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Cort stated in an article on the website that Antigua and Barbuda have enjoyed their relationship with the United States and they want to come to a broad understanding in terms of the settlement.

Since the WTO decision, Antigua and Barbuda have been given permission to target United States services, trademarks and copyrights. This is in retaliation for the US ban on online gambling. The retaliation is considered a good weapon against the United States. The two countries were only given $21 million instead of the $3.4 billion they had originally asked for. So to gain that money back, Antigua and Barbuda can suspend intellectual property rights on products from the US on such items as movies, music, software, etc and earn back their lost money.

It is not clear what would happen if Antigua and Barbuda suspend the intellectual property rights and the products are exported. Antigua is still in negotiations for compensation from the US. This is due to the fact the US altered their agreement with the WTO to exclude online gambling.