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Iran wins its first investor-state case
The Islamic Republic of Iran has won its first ever investor-state arbitration in a decision against Turkish mobile phone company, Turkcell.
India: Nokia mulls invoking bilateral investment treaty
Entangled in a protracted tax mess in the country, Nokia has said that it would like to address the issue under the bilateral investment treaty between Finland and India, sources told The Indian Express.
Vodafone initiates investment arbitration against India
Vodafone Group Plc has abandoned the conciliation process and started international investment arbitration against the Indian government over its long-running tax dispute.
European Parliament calls for suspension of US data-sharing
The European Parliament has called for a suspension of agreements with the US on sharing of private data in response to the revelations of wide-scale communications surveillance by the US National Security Agency. The resolution also threatens to suspend EU talks on a bilateral trade deal if the mass surveillance does not stop
Lex AT&T? EU Commisson’s TTIP proposal to revise telecoms law
The European Union could give away unlimited rights to foreign telecoms companies to buy up rivals in Europe as part of the proposed new transatlantic trade deal (TTIP). This is one of an astonishing set of proposals revealed in a Commission document leaked by the German newspaper Die Zeit last week.
Verizon sees “trade” deal as the next “Share everything” plan
This week, a Verizon representative speaking on a pro-TISA panel expressed the company’s hope that the “trade” deal can be used to keep privacy policies in check.
Investment protection clause: India can’t do a Maldives without paying a price
Recent disputes, including the GMR-Maldives government row and the clash between foreign telecom firms Telenor, Sistema, Etisalat and Vodafone and the Indian government, have exposed India’s vulnerable position in investment agreements. While the foreign telecom companies can use a potent weapon - the ’investment protection’ clause in bilateral treaties - against India, GMR cannot do the same with Maldives.
Malaysia headquartered Axiata Group threatens Indian government with international arbitration
Malaysia headquartered Axiata Group, which holds about 20% stake in Idea Cellular has threatened claim damages and drag the Indian government to international arbitration under bilateral investment protection pacts (BIPA), making it the sixth international investor in the telecoms space to serve notice under bilateral trade agreements.
Free trade agreement with Malaysia opens up education, telco sectors
Malaysia and Australia signed a free trade agreement that will allow Malaysia to export all goods duty-free into Australia once the deal comes into force on January 1, 2013.
India to oppose Vodafone’s move to invoke BIPA pact
The Indian government is likely to oppose any move by Vodafone Plc to invoke the India-Netherlands Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) if it is forced to cough up Rs 12,000 crore in taxes on the grounds that the investment was routed through several step down firms based in different countries and that the treaty does not cover tax disputes.
Voda seeks Netherlands treaty to snub govt, will others follow?
Fearing the Indian government will use new tax laws to trap it back around Rs 12,000 crore in taxes, the world’s largest mobile operator, Vodafone, may invoke a bilateral investment treaty between India and the Netherlands to avoid doing so.
2G: Telenor plans to invoke India-Singapore treaty
Norway’s Telenor will seek ’compensation for all investment, guarantees and damages’ if the Indian government fails to sort out issues related to its licence cancellation within the next six months, the company said.
Canada seeks to carve out agriculture, telecom in EU trade talks: documents
Leaked documents from the Canada-European Union free trade talks suggest Ottawa is seeking to carve out telecommunications and agriculture from any agreement.
Top U.S. companies urge new Internet trade rules
Google, Microsoft , Citigroup , IBM , GE and other top-tier American companies on Thursday urged the United States to fight for trade rules that protect the free flow of information over the Internet.
Hitch in bid to curb phone roaming costs
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is investigating if the introduction of price caps on mobile roaming fees will have an impact on the free-trade agreement with the US and agreements with Pacific countries.
ISPs targeted in Pacific trade agreement
Representatives from Australia’s internet industry have called for full disclosure of a proposed free trade agreement between the United States and its allies in the Pacific, concerned that the deal asks ISPs to shoulder onerous burdens around copyright infringement.
11 companies apply to provide cell phone service in Costa Rica
The country’s cell phone market was opened to private competition with the entry into force of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement with the US (CAFTA) on Jan.1, 2009.
Oman-US FTA?
The two major areas holding up the implementation of the FTA are the liberalisation of the telecom sector and policy changes changes in the Sultanate’s software policy.
Laing: Telecom, real estate excluded from EPA negotiations
Telecommunications and real estate in The Bahamas are two sectors that are, for now, off limits for negotiations under the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Community and CARIFORUM, State Minister for Finance Zhivargo Laing reported yesterday.