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The Libertarian Blog of Stephan Kinsella Mises Random Quote: • BLOG ARCHIVES • THE DAILY APOLOGY • KINSELLALAW BLOG October 17, 2006 Intellectual Property and Think Tank Corruption: [Cross-posted at Mises blog] I've learned from reliable sources connected with various free market think tanks around the world that various important companies, in particular pharmaceutical, have become "supporters" of such think tanks--provided, of course, that the think tank supports intellectual property rights. Could this be one reason many free market think tanks are supportive of IP despite a mounting case against it? I wonder if this is one reason for some of Cato's pro-patent positions. Just wondering, not accusing--but see, e.g., Cato Tugs Stray Back Onto Reservation; Jude Blanchette's The Reimportation Controversy; Protectionist Cato?; Drug Patents and Welfare (see also Epstein and Patents and Richard Epstein on "The Structural Unity of Real and Intellectual Property"). One Cato "scholar" formerly very critical of patents seems also to have "evolved" in his view of pharmaceutical patents. And note that Cato's pharmaceutical donors include Eli Lilly & Company, Merck & Company and Pfizer, Inc., at least according to SourceWatch (admittedly, though, the site does not provide a source for their claim, and none of these companies are listed in Cato's 2005 annual report). October 10, 2006 Libertarian Resource and Link Guide - Wiki: I have for some time maintained a web page with libertarian links. But, it's hard to maintain and is based on only one man's knowledge. I have moved the content of this page to a wiki so that other members of the libertarian community can help collaborate to improve this list of resources. Instructions are provided below: To help edit and improve the LibertarianGuide Wiki, first, join Wikispaces then join the LibertarianGuide Wiki. The wiki is designed for libertarians--especially Austro-anarchist-libertarians. Feel free to encourage any libertarians you know to use or participate in the guide. Contact me with any questions. Stephan Kinsella www.StephanKinsella.com October 5, 2006 Happ Review of Rubins-Kinsella International Law Book: Re my book International Investment, Political Risk, and Dispute Resolution: A Practitioner's Guide published last year--I just received the first book review--done by Dr. Richard Happ (other reviews). Excerpt: a classical treatise. ... It is noteworthy and commendable that--unlike so many other contemporary writers--the authors try to give a neutral and unbiased overview over diverging awards and disputed issues. ... It is a timely book. In their introduction, the authors state: 'we hope to provide the non-specialist lawyer, business person, or government official with the tools necessary to understand the international law of investment and its relationship to political risk'. They have managed to do so, and done even more. First, they successfully combined what would be three separate books (on structuring of investment, international law on investment protection and dispute settlement) in their own right. Second, they provide a coherent and--despite the necessary brevity--in-depth discussion of all relevant issues. Even minor points such as pre-dispute settlement negotiations, or the problem of pre-investment expenditures as investments, are dealt with comprehensively.... In doing so, the authors never become lost in academic debate, but always keep the perspective of the practitioner. These features make the book not only an excellent introduction and comprehensive overview about the state of the law of investment protection, but also a valuable reference tool for anyone experienced in the field. It is to be recommended to anyone who wishes to gain an insight into the topics under discussion or only needs a reference guide to current law and practice. The quality of the analysis ensures that the book will not lose its value even if the law continues to develop. For both academics and practitioners active in investment arbitration, it must be considered indispensable. .... These books [IIPR plus a casebook on foreign investment disputes] are like sea chart maps which allow the reader to navigate on the vast sea of information constituted by papers, awards and court cases during the last 100 years. Even the experienced sailor will and should not leave harbour without such sea charts.

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