Illegal US Anti-Cuba Measure Criticized at WTO

Section 211 also bars the US Patent and Trademark Office from renewing such trademark registrations.
In 2001, however, the WTO found that Section 211 violates WTO rules because it applies only to foreign nationals, not to US citizens. Section 211 also violates the Inter-American Convention on reciprocal trademark protections. Section 9 of this Act repeals Section 211 and brings the United States into compliance with its international intellectual property obligations.
According to Prensa Latina news agency, the issue, which directly affects Cuba, was discussed at the Dispute Settlement Panel of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.
In addition to Cuba and the EU countries, China, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, India, Costa Rica, Thailand, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Vietnam also deplored the US legislation.
The minister counsellor of the Cuban Mission to Geneva, Jorge Ferrer, rejected the US representatives’ claim that Washington has abided by the panel’s ruling.
In this regard, he criticized the US double standard, “which allows Bacardi to sell Havana Club brand products in US territory, thus encouraging trade of counterfeited goods”.
For his part, the Venezuelan representative in the WTO recalled that almost the entire world has demanded the end of Washington’s blockade of Cuba and also the Helms-Burton Act.