Editorial: The Belt and Road Initiative at the Cross Roads

This special Issue of the Global Trade and Customs Journal showcases a wide range of scholarly contributions to one of the most ambitious projects of the twenty-first century. In 2013, the Chinese Government launched the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), now referred to as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI); a highly ambitious infrastructure project that aims to link China physically and financially to Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. It covers 30% of global gross domestic product (GDP), 62% of the population, and 75% of known energy reserves, offering a trading route, which has a potential to be the world’s largest platform for regional collaboration. It has opened a new market to China and certainly spurs the economy in general. The initiative aims to establish and develop trading partners for the future through connectivity and infrastructure, where trade continues to be a driving force. Many countries have shown interest in joining the initiative because it will strengthen their financial capacity and connections with China and other regions. It is also true that the importance of the initiative is not only from a trade or an investment point of view, but also from the foreign and economic policy perspective: it is of geopolitical interest.

Link to the editorial: Pratyush Nath Upreti,'The Belt and Road Initiative at the Cross Roads' (2019) 14(5)

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Intellectual Property Rights in Nepal

Pratyush Nath Upreti Speaking at a memorial service for Nelson Mandela on Dec 10, 2013, South African President Jacob Zuma said, “There is no one like Madiba. He was one of a kind.” Indeed the South African president’s statement about the world’s greatest liberator who contributed so much to strengthening the values of human rights is very significant. Mandela is an inspiration for all mankind. Unfortunately, a controversy has arisen over the ownership and unauthorised use of the name Mandela since his death. Nelson Mandela’s image, name and quotations have been registered under the proprietorship of the Nelson Mandela Foundation as per South African trademark laws. They are registered under several classes including jewellery, clothing, books and other products. Furthermore, other proprietors of the Mandela brand include the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Infringement and unauthorised use of

Philip Morris v Uruguay: A Breathing Space for Domestic IP Regulation

Just received a copy of my recent publication. Citation: Pratyush Nath Upreti, Philip Morris v Uruguay: A Breathing Space for Domestic IP Regulation, European Intellectual Property Review (2018)40(4), 277

At The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) of European Union, Alicante, Spain, 2015

CYBERCRIME WITHOUT CYBER-RULES

Pratyush Nath Upreti In a welfare state, citizens have access to electricity, water, roads, education and health. Since citizens pay for these amenities through taxes, they expect services from the state in times of need. Increasingly, with the ubiquity of the internet, access to the web is also being considered a right. Although this scenario does not exist in the Nepali context, considering the potential of the internet to bring changes to societies and economies, the question of internet access as a basic right could bear merit. As per a World Bank report, there were 499,000 internet users in Nepal in 2008. These numbers have certainly increased. According to the Nepal Telecom authority, internet penetration had reached 28.92 percent in Nepal as of November 2013. However, along with the spread of the internet, a new avenue for crime has also evolved. A worldwide nuisance already, cybercrimes in Nepal are rising as the Internet becomes more commonplace. The Nepal Police’s Crime

Pratyush Nath Upreti

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