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U.S. Failure to Protect Immigrant Children from Labor Exploitation
Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock With the upcoming presidential election in the United States, immigration has predictably resurfaced as a hot-button topic in the country. As always, much of the conversation revolves around the southern border and what is or isn’t being done to curtail entry. However, over the last year, another issue entered the immigration discussion, the use of immigrant child labor in factories across the United States. This topic garnished much attention with a series of New York Times articles reporting that many immigrant children were found to be working in hazardous conditions that violate U.S. child labor laws and undermine the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of…
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Beyond Interest: How Islamic Banking is Reshaping Finance
Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock Brief Introduction of Islamic BankingWith Muslims comprising 1.8 billion of the global population, there is a growing demand for products and institutions that align with Islamic law. One such institution is Islamic banking, which is built on the core principles of Sharia (Islamic law) to shape its financial systems. The cornerstone of Islamic banking is prohibiting interest or any monetary increase on the principal amount. Other principles that Islamic financial institutions must follow include avoiding uncertainty, speculative transactions, and trading in impermissible products such as alcohol. Islamic banking aims to satisfy the economic needs of Muslims and cater to other segments of global financial markets, all…
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Tech Revolution: The Evolution of Global Industry Arbitration
This blog post shall act as a brief survey of the ever-increasing role of technology as used in arbitration for international business disputes. In today’s interconnected world, where businesses operate across oceans and industries span continents, disputes are inevitable. As global trade grows, so does the need for efficient and effective dispute resolution mechanisms. From as early as the Jay Treaty of 1794—allowing compensation to the new republic for depredations against American shipping during the Revolutionary War—arbitration has been a preferred method of solving international commercial disagreements. Arbitration offers parties a neutral and flexible forum to settle disputes, and the digital age has revolutionized the way arbitration is conducted. To…
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Fast Fashion Under Fire: Regulatory Scrutiny Intensifies for Shein and Temu
Photo Courtesy of Jade Gao via Getty Images What is Shein and Temu?E-commerce platforms have become a go-to destination for trendy and affordable clothing. Among the numerous online shopping websites, Temu and Shein have emerged as popular choices for fashion enthusiasts across the globe. Temu, a China-based company, was launched in the United States in September 2022. They offer a wide range of fashion products, including clothing, accessories and shoes for men, women, and children. Shein, another e-commerce platform, has rapidly gained popularity. Based in Singapore, this fast-fashion company has rapidly expanded into one of the largest online retailers for clothing, accessories, and beauty products, reaching approximately $45 billion in…
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The X-Files: Recent International Troubles for the Social Media Platform
The social media website X, alongside its controversial owner Elon Musk, has recently entered a turbulent legal period across the world. Since August 31, 2024, it has been banned in Brazil after Musk opted to close X’s offices there rather than comply with a Supreme Court order. Meanwhile, in the European Union, the European Commission published preliminary findings discerning that X was in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This paints a concerning picture of X’s longevity in international markets. Musk bought X, at the time known as Twitter, in 2022. Since then, the platform has been enmeshed in a variety of legal and financial turmoil, the most recent…
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First on the Scene: How the European Union is Leading the Charge to Regulate AI
The apprehension surrounding novel technology and the impact of it is not new; especially in cases where this introduction has had the tumult that Artificial Intelligence has endured. AI has served as an unnecessary boogeyman in the public consciousness. There is undoubtedly a potential unlike any other in this developing technology, yet we keep it at arm’s length. On the other hand, there is some warranted concern with such a powerful tool, but not from the tool itself. Like with any sea change in publicly available innovation, there will be those who abuse the gap between what is possible, and what has been legislated against. Inevitably, bad actors will use…
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Submersible Tourism: A Nightmare for Regulation, or the Catalyst for a Cleaner Ocean?
The call of the deep is an innate yearning in the human mind to explore the mysteries of the ocean and venture deeper. On June 18, 2023, five people dove to explore the legendary wreck of the Titanic on OceanGate’s Titan submersible. The Titan went missing en route to the wreck of the Titanic and the disappearance of the deep-sea submersible triggered a days-long, multinational search and hoped-to-be rescue operation. Unfortunately, all five passengers of the Titan submersible died on their voyage. Global headlines ranged from sympathy for the families of the deceased, to casting aspersions on OceanGate and the whole endeavor. The Titan submersible incident called into question the…
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Volume 51 Banquet
On April 1, 2024, the Syracuse University Journal of Internal Law and Commerce held their annual banquet for Volume 51. We spent time reflecting on our successful year, as well as discussing our vision for many more years to come! Additionally, we presented awards to individuals who displayed exceptional dedication to the Journal this past year. Congratulations to allow of our recipients. Award Recipients 2L of the Year: Sarah Smith 3L of the Year: Jennifer Arinze JILC Award: Michael Homme and Jessica Buffamonti L. Frederick E. Goldie Award: Andrew Castelletti, Leah Dawit, Eduardo Kreimerman Meyohas, and Lisa Phair Notes Selected for Publication: James Whitlow, Dana Krinsky, Emily Alexander, and Kurt…
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Stop Hitting Yourself: Iceland v. Iceland
Trademark is vital to the success of a business, protecting the recognizability and distinctiveness of a business’ name and preventing imitators from siphoning cash away from the original firm. But sometimes, quibbles over names, likenesses and branding can verge on absurd and drag on for years. The name Iceland has become synonymous with cold, fish and volcanic activity, making news with the latter recently. Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and over the meeting of two tectonic plates, Iceland is renowned for its seismic and volcanic activity, as well as its bitter cold winters. When thinking of the name “Iceland,” most of the world rightfully associates it with the country above,…
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Legal Frontiers in Copyright: The Case of AI-Generated Artwork
With the dramatic development of technology, artificial intelligence has grown so big that it now transcends almost all areas of industries. Especially in the art industry, AI has emerged as a powerful collaborator in art as its algorithms generate intricate compositions and digital masterpieces. Following this trend, such attributions of AI-generated artworks have raised questions regarding ownership and protection issues, alarming awareness of the relationship between such works and copyright law. Companies like OpenAI and StabilityAI started to release AI-enabled text and image generators beginning in late 2022. Initially, the Copyright Office was not prepared to decide on these works’ eligibility as copyrighted works until 2022, when author Kris Kashtanova’s…