The tiny Caribbean nation says a WTO victory against the United States means it can use piracy as a form of trade retaliation. Ordinarily, trade disputes allow one country to impose sanctions against another. In Antigua’s case, though, the sanctions wouldn’t have provided legitimate compensation — meaning the country can go after American IP by hosting pirated goods on its servers.

Needless to say, the U.S. content industry disagrees with Antigua’s approach, and the U.S. government is warning it against “theft.” Antigua says it’s within its rights because of the WTO ruling and because U.S. anti-gambling laws cost it 4,000 jobs. You can read the whole story by Reuters or you can simply watch this video — note the scene of Microsoft getting spanked over a photocopier — by NMA, the Taiwanese group that made that triumphant video (no longer available) about’s Bin Laden killing:

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• Indian power distribution companies getting into solar. Tata-backed NDPL, which supplies power to the north and northwest Delhi, plans to generate a significant amount of solar power by the end of the year. Three projects are expected to be approved next month, and nine projects have already been commissioned.
• Spanish solar PV. Spanish company T-Solar Group has built a 5 MW solar PV power plant in India. Vijayaraghavan says it is “the first photovoltaic power plant to be brought online by a Spanish company in India.”
• Hurdle for solar PV in Karnataka. Karnataka in southern India had plans to generate 200 MW of power from solar panels, but the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) rejected its proposal for subsidies for 18 projects from the state. Because of that decision, the state government cancelled permission for those projects.
• Rural solar subsidies. In some rural areas in Utter Pradesh, villagers who are willing to set up a solar power plant are given 50-percent subsidy by the government.
• Mahindra jumps into solar. The $12.5 billion conglomerate the Mahindra group is diversifying into solar energy through its in-house private equity arm Mahindra Partners.
• India’s National Solar Mission is working. One hundred fifty companies pledged interest in building 2,500 MW of solar in response to the Indian government’s invitation under the second phase of the National Solar Mission.
• On the defense. India defends itself at a WTO meeting, over its requirement to use some locally made equipment for solar projects.
• Indian power grid operator has global ambitions. State-run PowerGrid Corporation, which is a central transmission utility, intends to go global as an investor and developer of transmission systems.
• Chinese power company targets India. China’s Dongfang Electric has gotten certification for one of its wind turbines, which removes a barrier to sell it in India.
• RenGen to IPO. Chennai-based wind turbine maker ReGen Powertech plans an IPO next year.
• Indian wind turbines in Alaska. Repower Systems, a German unit of the India turbine maker Suzlon, won an order to supply what will become Alaska’s largest wind farm.

Panchabuta is dedicated to bringing the latest news, information and analysis in Cleantech and Renewable Energy Industry in India.

Image courtesy of oneVillage Initiative.

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