
Chapter 07 - Intellectual Property and Other Legal Forces
7. What are competition laws and how do the laws and the approaches differ between the U.S. and
other parts of the world?
Competition laws (known in the U.S. as antitrust laws) are laws intended to prevent inappropriately large
concentrations of economic power. The U.S. has antitrust laws that are strict and that are enforced
vigorously, with an emphasis on preventing price fixing, market sharing, and business monopolies. Other
countries are becoming more active in the field of competition laws, with more than 80 nations now
8. Are tariffs the only type of obstacle to international trade? If not, name some others.
9. Can product liability be criminal? If so, in what sorts of situations would product liability
become criminal behavior?
10. What is the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? What arguments or evidence can you identify in
support or opposition to laws such as the FCPA?
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is a U.S. law against making payments to foreign government officials
for special treatment. Arguments in favor of this law is that it can help reduce the incidence of
inappropriate behaviors, increase integrity in business, and promote transparency in transactions.
GlobalEDGE Answers
Exercise One
1. Your company is considering expanding to Singapore. Because of this, top management is hoping to
better understand the intellectual property (IP) laws of this country. Using the Intellectual Property
Office of Singapore (IPOS) website, prepare a short report on trademark protection in Singapore. In
your report, include a discussion addressing the following: (1) the benefits of trademark registration;
(2) registrable and unregistrable marks; and (3) the steps in the application process.
Answer:
http://globaledge.msu.edu
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