In The News

Russia Looks Both East and West

Andrew Symon July 20, 2006
As the Group of Eight industrial countries meets in St. Petersburg, Russian oil supply to Europe and western countries was a prominent topic of conversation. Russia supplies 25 percent of the EU’s oil. Russia also looks east to China and South Korea to expand its markets for oil and natural gas. Several projects under negotiation between Moscow and Asian governments would increase the Russian...

Even Statelessness Goes Better With Coke. Or Does It?

Marc Lacey July 19, 2006
In 2004, local investors – carefully chosen to represent the various clans of Somalia – opened a Coca-Cola bottling plant in the capital city of Mogadishu. Since then, Islamic militias have taken control of the government, and Somalia’s investment scene has changed substantially for those who want to sell an American brand of soda. The militias brought unprecedented levels of security, greatly...

Heartland Farmers Visit West Africa

Laura Rusu July 18, 2006
A group of US farmers traveled to the West African country of Mali to witness the struggles of farmers that contend with drought, poverty and unfair competition from the world’s wealthiest countries. US farmers and relief agency Oxfam America took the trip to coincide with the latest session of Doha talks – and plan to continue speaking out against unfair policies in developed nations that reward...

The New Face of Globalization...

Evgeny Morozov July 16, 2006
The hemming and hawing of the management of the European steel company Arcelor could be seen as either an astute strategy for forcing Lakshmi Mittal to increase his bid for the company or as an attempt by the anachronistic “Old Guard” of Europe to maintain nationalism in trade. Either way, writes author Evgeny Morozov, the takeover shows that globalization has taken hold in Europe: “The Mittal...

The Death of Doha Signals the Demise of Globalization

Martin Jacques July 13, 2006
The deadlock at the Doha round signals the end of an era. The past 25 years of globalization coincided with the promotion of multilateral trade, but now both the developing and developed nations turn their interests elsewhere. As the US and other developed countries slide toward protectionism, developing countries refuse to accept the type of unfavorable agreements that once characterized...

Smiley Face Is Serious to Company

Thomas Crampton July 6, 2006
Trademark and patent laws have not kept pace with globalization – and conflicting laws among nations raise the question about whether a trademark registered in one country has any bearing on use in another. “We may live in the era of globalization, but trademarks are still rooted in territoriality," explains one attorney who specializes in intellectual property. In 1997, the French company...

India Becoming a Crucial Cog in the Machine at IBM

Saritha Rai July 3, 2006
IBM is unmatched in taking advantage of the technology talent-pool in India and providing global services on a grand scale. While US and European workers have faced repeated layoffs over the past several years, the number of IBM’s Indian employees grows at a staggering rate. IBM’s growth in India also stems from multiple acquisitions of Indian companies. The company’s research labs focus on...