Antigua & Barbuda seeking $200m settlement before years end

Here’s the latest update on the international trade dispute that’s been running just about as long as the online gambling industry itself; Antigua & Barbuda versus the United States (yes, it’s still not settled).

The Gaston Browne administration have posted a statement on the World Trade Organization (WTO) website threatening,

“if a settlement was not reached before the end of 2016, Antigua would have to resort to the suspension of copyright on the sale of US intellectual property…”

The settlement being sought is now said to be $200 million. Double the sum they (unsuccessfully) tried to extract back in 2014.

As for the suspension of copyright on US intellectual property bit, this refers to Antigua’s plans to become a government sanctioned online piracy hub for US music, movies, software and the like, if they don’t get cash they’re asking for.

This isn’t a new threat. They rolled it out in 2014. It didn’t work then so it’s hard to imagine how it’s going to now magically deliver twice the sum already rejected by Washington.

Throw into the mix a US president elect whose attitude toward international trade is far from caring and sharing (unless he’s planning a Trump resort in St John’s) and it’s looking more and more like we’ll see warez-antigua.ag launching some time in 2017.