Bibliographie sélective OHADA

During the last two decades, there have been a number of policy and legislative changes in respect of South Africa’s intellectual property (IP) and the national system of innovation (NSI). In 2012, a Ministerial Review of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) landscape in South Africa made recommendations to improve the STI landscape and effectively the national system of innovation. The study provides a critical review of drafts of the national IP policy published in 2013 as well as the IP Framework released in 2016 for public comment. The review of the IP and the NSI are within the context of the National Development Plan (NDP), which outlines South Africa’s desired developmental goals. South Africa is part of the BRICS group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The South African economy is characterised by a desire to move away from being dependent on resources and commodities, to becoming a more knowledge based and innovation driven economy. It is hoped that such a move would assist the country to address some of the social and economic development challenges facing South Africa, as captured in the NDP. South Africa has a functioning IP system, but its relationship with South Africa’s development trajectory is not established. More particularly, the extent to which the IP system relates to the innovation system and how these two systems must be aligned to enable South Africa to transition successfully from a country based on the production of primary resources and associated commodity-based industries to a viable knowledge-based economy is unclear. The Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) provides that IP must contribute to innovation and to transfer of technology and knowledge in a manner that is conducive to social and economic welfare. Certain provisions set out the foundations of intellectual property systems within the context of each member state. This study has thus explored the complex, complementary and sometimes contested relationships between IP and innovation, with particular emphasis on the potential of an intellectual property system to stimulate innovation and foster social and economic development. The study has also analysed the interconnectivity of IP and innovation with other WTO legal instruments, taking into account South Africa’s positioning within the globalised economy and in particular the BRICS group of countries. The research involved a critical review of South Africa’s IP and innovation policies, as well as relevant legislation, instruments, infrastructure, IP and innovation landscape, and relationship with international WTO legal instruments, in addition to its performance, given the developmental priorities and the globalised economy. The research documents patenting trends by South Africans using European Patent Office (EPO), Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), United States Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) databases over the period 1996-2015. A comparative analysis of patenting trends amongst BRICS group of countries has also been documented. The study also documents new findings, observations and insights regarding South Africa’s IP and innovation systems. Some of these, particularly in relation to higher education and research institutions, are directly attributable to the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act. More particularly, the public institutions are becoming relevant players in the NSI and are responsible for growth of certain technology clusters, in particular, biotechnology. At the same time, the study makes findings of a decline of private sector participation in patenting as well as R&D investment over the 20-year period. Recommendations are included regarding specific interventions to ensure coherence between the IP and innovation systems. Such coherence and alignment should strengthen the systems’ ability to stimulate innovation and foster inclusive development and competitiveness, which are relevant for addressing South Africa’s socio-economic development priorities.

O objetivo deste trabalho é realizar uma análise sistematizada acerca da proteção à propriedade intelectual no Brasil frente às necessidades específicas da indústria da moda. Este trabalho pretende realizar contribuição original à ciência jurídica brasileira não apenas com relação ao debate, ainda não realizado da forma aqui proposta quanto à indústria específica em âmbito acadêmico no Brasil, mas também realizar reflexão consistente quanto às consequências das particularidades e das demandas que cada vez mais buscam uma resposta eficiente do sistema jurídico. O sistema jurídico brasileiro parece oferecer à indústria da moda mecanismos suficientes para a proteção das criações da indústria. Este trabalho demonstrará tal conclusão por meio de análise dos resultados empíricos da pesquisa jurisprudencial realizada. Vale dizer que criações que não encontram proteção por meio do que há disponível no sistema jurídico brasileiro podem ter sido deixadas descobertas intencionalmente pelo legislador, a fim de que se encontre medida balanceada para observar a geração e a manutenção de incentivos para a criação e a inovação, de um lado, e o resguardo do objetivo de tutelar a concorrência, de outro lado. O resultado disso pode ser visto como o objetivo maior, trazido pela Constituição Federal, de progresso social e cultural e de desenvolvimento tecnológico e econômico do país, por meio do incentivo à inovação e da proteção equilibrada.

La présente thèse vise à décrire et analyser l’évolution ambigüe du rapport Souveraineté-Intégration dans les cadres européen et africain. A cet effet, elle révèle qu’un tel rapport est part d’un antagonisme de principe entre Souveraineté et Intégration mais débouche cependant sur des réalités différentes qui sont fonction du contexte précis de mise en application de cette relation. En effet, si au départ, on peut noter une certaine convergence de vue en Europe et en Afrique sur la nature antagonique des rapports entre Souveraineté et Intégration ; à l’arrivée, la pratique de l’intégration ne semble pas avoir conduit aux mêmes effets quant au sort de la souveraineté étatique dans les cadres européen et africain. En réalité, alors que la souveraineté de l’Etat a été fortement amoindrie par l’intégration dans l’UE, confirmant ainsi largement leur antagonisme de départ ; du côté africain, cette hypothèse initiale d’antagonisme a plutôt été compromise par la pratique car dans l’UEMOA et l’OHADA, l’opposition entre souveraineté et intégration s’est avérée largement ineffective. This thesis aims to describe and analyze the ambiguous evolution of the Sovereignty-Integration report in the European and African frameworks. To this end, it reveals that such a relation started from an antagonism of principle between Sovereignty and Integration but nevertheless leads to different realities that depend on the precise context of the application of this relation. Indeed, while at the outset one can note a certain convergence of view in Europe and in Africa on the antagonistic nature of the relations between Sovereignty and Integration; the practice of integration seems to have led to contradictory effects on the fate of state sovereignty in the European and African frameworks. In facts, whereas sovereignty of States has been greatly diminished by integration in the EU, thus largely confirming their initial antagonism ; on the African side, this initial hypothesis of antagonism has rather been compromised by practice because in UEMOA and OHADA, the opposition between sovereignty and integration has proved largely ineffective.

Quase 10 anos após a eclosão da Crise de 2008, seguimos insistindo em velhas soluções para problemas econômicos recorrentes, e os remédios regulatórios que têm emergido em resposta à crise continuam fundamentalmente baseados no tradicional paradigma econômico neoclássico que pressupõe que o ser humano é um agente econômico infalivelmente racional, conforme o modelo do Homo economicus, desconsiderando-se as evidências empíricas em sentido contrário que nos trazem as ciências cognitivas em geral, e a economia comportamental em particular. Pois, lançando mão dessas descobertas, nossa tese é a de que a análise econômico-comportamental do direito deve ser usada como instrumento para prescrever políticas públicas capazes de aprimorar a regulamentação do mercado financeiro. Para tanto, dividimos nosso trabalho em três grandes capítulos. No primeiro capítulo, tecemos uma narrativa da Crise de 2008, com ênfase nas circunstâncias em que foi engendrada, e discorremos sobre como a economia neoclássica explica suas causas. No segundo capítulo, explicamos a economia comportamental e a análise econômico-comportamental do direito, contrapondo-as à economia neoclássica e à análise econômica do direito. No terceiro capítulo, defendemos que a explicação neoclássica da crise é incorreta, e tecemos uma narrativa alternativa da Crise de 2008 com base na economia comportamental. Finalmente, criticamos as principais respostas regulatórias que têm sido dadas à Crise de 2008, demonstrando que continuam se baseando quase que exclusivamente na economia neoclássica, e fazemos propostas alternativas de regulamentação inspiradas na análise econômico-comportamental do direito, a fim de provar nossa tese de que esta disciplina realmente deve ser usada para prescrever políticas públicas a fim de aprimorar a regulamentação do mercado financeiro.

Section 71(3) of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 has introduced into South African company law a provision which for the first time permits the board of directors to remove another director from office in certain specific instances. A further significant innovation in the Companies Act 71 of 2008 is contained in section 162, which empowers a court to make an order declaring a director delinquent or placing him under probation in specific instances. The effect of section 162 is that a court is empowered to remove a director from the board of directors. The focus of this thesis is the removal of directors from office by the board of directors and by the judiciary. The thesis explores the underpinning philosophy of the statutory provisions relating to the removal of directors from office. It also examines the impact of the power given to the board of directors and to the courts to remove a director from office. The grounds and the procedures for the removal of directors by the board of directors and the judiciary are examined. The fiduciary duties applicable to directors in removing a director from the board of directors are also explored. In addition, this thesis examines the removal of directors holding multiple positions or capacities in relation to a company, such as an employee or a shareholder with loaded voting rights. The remedies which may be relied on by a director who has been removed from office by the board of directors are examined. Recommendations are made to strengthen and improve the provisions in the Companies Act 71 of 2008 relating to the removal of directors from office by the board of directors and the judiciary. Amendments to the Companies Act 71 of 2008 are suggested to remove ambiguities; to guard against the abuse of sections 71(3) and 162; to improve the grounds and procedures for the removal of directors by the board of directors and the judiciary, and to enhance the remedies that may be relied on by a director who has been removed from office by the board of directors.

Foreign investments in SADC are regulated by Annex 1 of the SADC Protocol on Finance and Investments (SADC FIP), as well as the laws of SADC Member States. At present, SADC faces the challenge that this regime for the regulation of foreign investments is unstable, unsatisfactory and unpredictable. Furthermore, the state of the rule of law in some SADC Member States is unsatisfactory. This negatively affects the security of foreign investments regulated by this regime. The main reasons for this state of affairs are briefly explained below. The regulatory regime for foreign investments in SADC is unstable, due to recent policy reviews and amendments of key regulatory instruments that have taken place. Major developments in this regard have been the suspension of the SADC Tribunal during 2010, the amendment of the SADC Tribunal Protocol during 2014 to bar natural and legal persons from access to the Tribunal, and the amendment of Annex 1 during 2016 to remove investor access to international investor-state arbitration, better known as investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). The regulation of foreign investments in SADC has been unsatisfactory, among others because some SADC Member States have failed or neglected to harmonise their investment laws with both the 2006 and the 2016 Annex 1. Furthermore, SADC Member States such as Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have multiple Regional Economic Community (REC) memberships. This places these Member States in a position whereby they have conflicting interests and treaty obligations. Finally, the future of the regime for the regulation of foreign investments in SADC is unpredictable, due to regional integration efforts such as the recent formation of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Zone (T-FTA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The T-FTA is entitled to have its investment protocol, while the AfCFTA investment protocol will be negotiated from 2018 until 2020. These developments entail that the 2016 Annex 1 will soon be replaced by an investment protocol at either the T-FTA or AfCFTA levels, thereby ushering a new regime for the regulation of foreign investments in SADC. The unknown nature of the future regulations create uncertainty and instability among foreign investors and host states alike. This study analyses the regulation of foreign investments in terms of Annex 1 and selected laws of SADC Member States. In the end, it makes the three findings mentioned above. In order to address these findings, the study makes four recommendations. The first is that foreign investments in SADC must be regulated at African Union (AU) level, by means of an AfCFTA investment protocol (which incidentally is now the case). Secondly, investor-state disputes must be referred to the courts of a host state, optional ISDS, the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (ACJ&HR) or other agreed forum. Thirdly, an African Justice Scoreboard (AJS) must be established. The AJS will act as a gateway to determine whether an investor-state dispute shall be referred to the courts of a host state, ISDS, the ACJ&HR or other forums. Fourthly, the office of an African Investment Ombud (AIO) must be created. The AIO shall facilitate the early resolution of investor-state disputes, so as to reduce the number of disputes that may end-up in litigation or arbitration.

Les États ouest-africains ont fait de l’intégration économique la voie privilégiée pour relever le défi du développement économique dans un contexte international de plus en plus concurrentiel. Ainsi, par le biais d’organisations régionale et sous régionale, la protection du libre jeu de la concurrence est devenue un enjeu communautaire. L’intégration économique régionale ouest-africaine a donc été saisie par le droit de la concurrence. De ce fait, on assiste à l’émergence de droits régionaux de la concurrence au sein de l’Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (UEMOA) et de la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO). Chacune de ces organisations a donc mis en place un droit de la concurrence dans son espace économique. Il en résulte, vu la composition de l’UEMOA et de la CEDEAO, que ces droits communautaires ont vocation à s’appliquer aux États membres de l’Union qui font également partie de la Communauté. Cette particularité de la coexistence de ces règles communautaires de la concurrence en Afrique de l’Ouest méritait qu’on s’y attarde afin d’évaluer leur application, d’analyser l’effectivité et l’efficacité de ces droits. Cette étude comparative s’est attachée à mettre en exergue ce que renferment ces droits, à relever leurs spécificités, tout en mettant en lumière leurs insuffisances. Il apparaît nécessaire de repenser, voire de réformer certains aspects de ces droits afin d’améliorer leurs applications, gage d’une meilleure protection de la libre concurrence en Afrique de l’Ouest. West African states have made economic integration the preferred way to deal with the challenge of economic development in an increasingly competitive international context. Thus, through regional and subregional organizations, the protection of the free movement of competition has become a community issue.West African regional economic integration has therefore been seized by competition law. From this, we note emerging competition rights in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Each of these organizations has therefore put in place a competition law in its economic area. As a result, given the composition of UEMOA and ECOWAS, these Community rights are intended to be applied to the Member States of the Union which are also part of the Community. The features of the coexistence of these Community competition law in West Africa deserved to be examined in order to evaluate their application, to analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of these rights. This comparative study intends to highlight the contain of these rights, reveal their specificities, while showing their lacks. It’s necessary to rethink or even reform some aspects of these rights to improve their applications, basis for a better protection of free competition in West Africa.

L’imprévision est un thème à la frontière entre liberté contractuelle et justice contractuelle. Cependant, un nouveau regard peut être porté sur cette institution du droit des contrats grâce à la théorie des contrats relationnels développée par Ian R. Macneil ou encore à travers le contrat-coopération théorisé par Suzanne Lequette. Ces théories invitent à prendre en considération la valeur intrinsèque du lien contractuel et l’incomplétude du contrat. L’imprévision fait donc partie intégrante des contrats relationnels de par leur nature. La vocation première des contrats relationnels est de perdurer, obligeant les contractants à des normes de coopération et de flexibilité. Sous couvert de bonne foi, la relationnalité serait le fondement des changements de circonstances. Une étude comparative du régime des changements de circonstances apporte certaines précisions. Il semble exister deux approches des changements de circonstances, l’une restreinte aux modifications économiques et l’autre étendue, basée sur l’objectif ou le fondement contractuel. Une approche étendue de l’imprévision semble nécessaire dans les contrats relationnels. Enfin, les effets des changements de circonstances devraient donner priorité au maintien de la relation et à la norme de coopération en imposant une renégociation puis en permettant une adaptation judiciaire des termes de l’engagement. La résiliation, contraire à la nature des contrats relationnels, ne devrait intervenir qu’exceptionnellement.

L'Algérie a engagé une politique de libéralisation de son économie et cherche à intégrer l’économie mondiale pour sortir de sa dépendance des hydrocarbures et diversifier son économie. Une politique incitative est mise en place pour accueillir les investissements direct étrangers qui constituent un enjeu majeur pour l’accroissement des échanges, le transfert de technologie, la mise à niveau des sociétés locales et la création d’emploi. D’un autre côté la mise en place d’une économie de marché exige un environnement juridique efficace et stable qui définit clairement les droits et obligations des opérateurs économiques notamment en matière de conclusion de contrats. Le cadre théorique que nous retenons pour répondre à cette question est l’analyse de la place des conventions fiscales dans l’ordre fiscal algérien et sa corrélation avec la politique de promotion des investissements. Les conventions fiscales sont telles réellement au service de l’investissement ? Pour ce faire nous avons mis en exergue tout au long de nos développements l’examen des conventions fiscales à l’épreuve des contrats internationaux permettant d’améliorer la lisibilité et la transparence de la norme fiscale afin de favoriser l’attractivité du territoire

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the economic and financial substance of certain contractual requirements imposed by Islamic commercial law as well as some of their implications. More attention is given to requirements that have financial implications and are related to those discussed in the contract theory literature. We divide our investigation into four parts. The first part is an examination of the fundamental transactional requirements in Islamic commercial law, focusing on those related to four primary Islamic Financial Securities (IFSs). In the second part, we use our findings to construct an alternative asset pricing methodology. We also explore our findings in the third and fourth parts using the principal-agent model of Holmström and Milgrom (1991). More specifically, we use it to respectively model the relationship between underwriters and Islamic commercial law regulators as well as consider the case of ambiguous incentive contracts. Each part of our investigation has yielded substantial contributions to the literature as follows. Firstly, our examination of Islamic commercial law principles and contracts reveals that there are indeed legal requirements which have direct implications for financial models, such as the need for a liquidity discount in receivables-based ṣukūk as they are – in principle – non-tradeable. Secondly, the asset-pricing model we have constructed allows us to examine the equilibrium return and investment levels of IFSs. This allows us to derive conditions at which one security yields higher returns than another. Thirdly, our cooperation model suggests that cooperation between underwriters and Islamic commercial law regulators is only beneficial for an issuer of a structured Islamic financial product if their synergy benefits are over a certain level. Lastly, our investigation into ambiguous incentive contracts demonstrates that it is never beneficial for principals to offer such contracts to ambiguity averse individuals as it unambiguously reduces the principal’s profit.

This dissertation aims to answer a fundamental question relating to the South African legal and economic framework in which private equity operates. This being: To what extent does the law address/regulate the structure of private equity funds and the relationships between the various parties related to a fund, that is: investors, the fund manager and underlying portfolio investments? This thesis also discussed how the law could better regulate the private equity industry. The dissertation consists of five chapters. Chapter one raises such fundamental questions as ‘what is the nature of private equity?’ by looking at the parties involved, the private equity cycle, returns, liquidity, the risk, and the private equity market. In addition, it assesses whether private equity satisfies the criteria to be regarded as a separate asset class. Chapter two provides an analysis of the key features of private equity fund formation in South Africa. The choice of the most appropriate legal structure of a private equity fund starts with the choice of the most effective and suitable legal vehicle. Chapter two includes a discussion of the general private equity fund structure, the regulatory requirements of private equity firms, and certain regulatory considerations relevant in operating a private equity fund in South Africa. The discussion at certain instances reference private equity fund formation in foreign jurisdictions such the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Chapter three introduces an analysis of corporate governance as it pertains to private equity funds. Firstly, it discusses the role of corporate governance regulation in stimulating investment. Secondly, it discusses the importance and benefits of corporate governance from the perspective of private equity managers; and seeks to explain the link between the private equity business model and corporate governance that is based on the assertion that there are two levels of corporate governance involved in private equity investing. The first level of governance relates to the private equity fund’s underlying portfolio investee companies and this includes inter alia, a discussion on the duties of the fund manager, particularly in their capacity as serving as directors on the boards of such companies. The second level of governance relates to the private equity fund itself which focuses on the relationship between the private equity firm and the investors that invest in the private equity fund. Chapter four examines two key impediments namely tax legislation and exit alternatives; and show how legislation could effectively address the former and how the lack of exit routes is an impediment to the growth of the local private equity industry. Chapter five states that, the development of the above mentioned regulatory framework will only be successful if the private equity industry participants themselves acknowledge and actively address the disadvantages and real risks posed by the private equity industry on the South African financial system.

Given the importance of parental care to children, parents and broader society and the apparent conflict between work and adequate parental care, this study evaluates the legal facilitation of the integration of work and care across nine countries, including South Africa. The study recognises that legal operationalisation of the integration of work and care primarily takes place at domestic legislative level and shows that this happens against the backdrop of widespread recognition of the importance of the family and care at the international, regional and constitutional levels. The study builds on the reality that domestic legislation in this context consists of (a combination of) equality law and specific rights contained in employment standards legislation. The comparative review of equality law as applied in the area of the work-care conflict shows that, despite the potential and promise that equality law holds to facilitate the integration of work and care, this potential has not been realised and probably will not be in future. This necessarily shifts the focus to an approach founded on the extension of specific rights related to time off or leave, as well as flexible working, to employees in order to enable them effectively to combine work and caregiving. The comparative review of specific rights in this area leads to the conclusion that South Africa lags far behind certain developed and comparable developing countries in its legislative recognition of the importance of caregiving and in its subsequent level of employment rights extended to caregivers. Given the ample room for improvement, suggestions for legislative reform are made based on the comparative experience of other countries

O produto do esforço intelectual humano é transportado para o mundo dos fatos por meio de determinada forma, cujo conceito proposto abrange todos os recursos colocados à disposição do homem para trazer à realidade objetiva concepções técnicas ou estéticas suscetíveis de receber a tutela do Estado. Com efeito, a forma une o concreto ao abstrato, tornando possível a organização do caos interno, próprio dos sentimentos e pensamentos humanos, além de permitir que a obra seja devidamente comunicada e, a partir daí, que se estabeleçam relações jurídicas entre ela e o seu criador, bem como com terceiros. No campo do direito de autor, a forma se exterioriza para, em seguida, retornar ao mundo interior, despertando os sentidos humanos, fenômeno que não ocorre com as formas técnicas, concebidas para operar efeitos na realidade objetiva e produzir resultados no mundo exterior ao homem. Nesse contexto, a afirmação de que propriedade intelectual é forma oferece uma nova perspectiva para estudar-se o sistema de proteção ao esforço intelectual humano, permitindo que o intérprete da lei tenha um guia para a solução do paradoxo da acumulação de diversas proteções sobre um único objeto, que pode revelar-se ao mesmo tempo belo e útil. Note-se, a propósito, que o sistema da propriedade intelectual é composto por institutos cujas esferas de proteção não se interpenetram, cobrindo áreas estanques do engenho humano, cada qual com seus fundamentos e requisitos próprios, voltados para a consecução de uma determinada finalidade. Como é de conhecimento geral, a única maneira de apropriar-se, com exclusividade, de conteúdo técnico é por meio da obtenção de uma patente, que protege soluções para problemas do nosso cotidiano, considerada a realidade objetiva, externa ao homem. Fixadas essas premissas, pode-se estabelecer uma relação de subsidiariedade entre a propriedade industrial e o direito de autor, porquanto, embora os inventores possam também ser considerados autores no sentido amplo do termo (pais das invenções), não poderão retirar do direito autoral fundamento válido para proteger o conhecimento técnico. Quanto ao confronto entre o direito de autor e os demais institutos da propriedade industrial, como, por exemplo, as marcas e os desenhos industriais, cumpre salientar que a definição das respectivas esferas de proteção também não autoriza que se conclua pela sobreposição, mas sim por uma saudável harmonização de direitos. Assim compreendida a problemática subjacente ao tema proposto, percebe-se que há, em verdade, apenas um conflito aparente entre o direito de autor e a propriedade industrial, o que permite que convivam em harmonia, com vistas a coibir a concorrência desleal e o aproveitamento parasitário de esforços e investimentos alheios. Por fim, em casos fronteiriços, a aplicação do princípio da subsidiariedade tal como enunciado acima, dissolve eventuais obstáculos, com vistas a que os direitos de propriedade intelectual sirvam para impulsionar o País na direção do desenvolvimento econômico, tecnológico e cultural, considerado, em todos os casos, o interesse social. The result of human intellectual effort is manifested through forms. Therefore, the concept of form covers all resources at man's disposal to bring to reality technical and aesthetic concepts that may be protected by the State. Essentially, form unites the concrete to the abstract. This makes organizing and communicating ideas possible. From there, it is also possible to establish legal connections between a form and its creator, as well as with third parties. With respect to copyright, form is externalized and then returns to the inner world, awaking human senses - phenomena that do not occur within technical form. The latter is designed to bring about effects in the objective reality and produce results in the outside world. In this context, the claim that intellectual property is form offers a new perspective to study the intellectual property system. It also allows the interpreter of the law to have a guide to the resolution of the paradox regarding the accumulation of several protections on a single object, that can prove to be both beautiful and useful. It should be noted that the intellectual property system is composed of institutions whose spheres of protection do not interconnect. They cover different areas of human inventiveness, each of which has its own foundations and requirements to achieve a certain purpose. As it is generally known, the only way to appropriate, exclusively, technical content is by obtaining a patent. This protects solutions to problems of our daily life, considered the objective reality, external to man. Having established these premises, a relationship of subsidiarity between industrial property and copyright can be established. Although inventors can also be considered authors in the broad sense of the term, they are not allowed to use copyright to protect technical knowledge. Concerning the comparison between copyright and other industrial property institutes, such as trademarks and industrial designs, it should be pointed out that the definition of their respective spheres of protection does not legitimize the conclusion that it would be possible to accumulate protection on a single form, but rather it leads to the conclusion that, in fact, we have a harmonization of rights. By these means, the problem outlined in the proposed thesis is only an apparent conflict between copyright and industrial property, which allows them to coexist in harmony in order to avoid unfair competition and parasitism. Finally, it is important to outline that in forefront cases, the application of the principle of subsidiarity as set out above, dissolves any obstacles that intellectual property rights could present to economic, technological and cultural development of the country, that are always guided in accordance with the public interest.

L'accord ADPIC a été accepté par la Tunisie comme un mal nécessaire afin d'obtenir des bénéfices commerciaux dans les secteurs de grand intérêt. Il était également considéré comme bien pensé car il accordait une période de transition aux PED afin qu'ils puissent adapter leurs systèmes à cet instrument exhaustif et établir un standard minimum qui pourrait s'appliquer à tous les pays et rattacher les DPI au commerce. La Tunisie constitue un cas d'analyse intéressant et ce, surtout comparativement aux autres pays qui ont maintenu une attitude de rejet par rapport aux traités classiques de PI. Notre pays était membre aux conventions de Paris et de Berne depuis plus d'un siècle. Il était certes le bon élève qui s'est harmonisé en développant une nouvelle culture de protection à la PI conformément au nouveau système international. La raison est que la PI est conçue afin d'être, dans la nouvelle économie cognitive, un outil important dans la compétitivité internationale. Elle constitue également un instrument pour attirer les IDE. En même temps, et comme le stipule l'ADPIC, la PI serait un composant essentiel dans la promotion de l'innovation et la facilité du transfert de technologie. Mais ce schéma d'harmonisation sur la base de prétendus standards minimums n'a pas satisfait l'engouement des pays industrialisés qui se sont lancés dans la conclusion d'accords commerciaux bilatéraux au-delà de l'ADPIC. Notre objectif est donc d'analyser ces présupposés et d'essayer d'expliquer ce qui s'est passé depuis l'accord ADPIC. La question est de savoir si le pays, en procédant de cette manière, avait réussi à établir cette articulation entre les considérations commerciales qu'exige l'ADPIC et les préoccupations internes se rapportant à la santé, l'agriculture, la diversité culturelle et l'environnement. Vingt trois ans après, le pays a-t-il tiré profit de l'alignement de son régime de PI sur l'accord ADPIC ? L'un des objectifs avoués de l'ADPIC était la diffusion du savoir et par là, l'amélioration des capacités R & D. Cependant, très peu de progrès a été réalisé, il semble même que la situation ait empiré.

Les conventions internationales sont adoptées par des organisations internationales dans le but d’imposer des règles uniformes dans un domaine spécifique. L’intégration du droit international dans l’ordre juridique de chacun des États parties dépend de la méthode choisie par leur propre droit national. En France, les conventions internationales de droit maritime occupent une place particulière qui leur permet d’avoir leurs dispositions directement invocables par les particuliers. Elles jouissent également d’une grande autorité lorsqu’elles sont reprises par les normes de l’Union européenne produisant des effets contraignants à l’égard des États membres. Le statut de la convention internationale au sein de l’ordre juridique français garantit la pleine effectivité des mesures qu’elle contient, sous réserve que leurs dispositions soient pleinement mises en œuvre par les tribunaux. Le juge aura alors un rôle fondamental dans l’application des conventions internationales puisqu’il pourra influencer sur les effets de ces normes internationales et choisir de participer à l’unification du droit. Mais il sera également tributaire de certaines contraintes inhérentes à l’adoption d’un acte de droit international, ce qui limitera les espoirs d’unification des règles de droit applicables en matière maritime.

Alors que nos environnements de travail, de déplacement et nos modes de socialisation sont de plus en plus façonnés par les outils numériques, l’exploitation des données est devenue un enjeu majeur du XXIème siècle. Situé au carrefour des problématiques juridiques, sociologiques et économiques, l’équilibre entre les besoins de cette nouvelle forme d’innovation technologique et le droit au respect de la vie privée est devenu précaire. Cela se traduit par un écart important entre la confiance que les citoyens accordent à l’exploitation des données et les déclarations des législateurs sur l’efficacité des mesures de protection. Bien que le consentement soit la pierre angulaire du nouveau Règlement Général sur la Protection des Données, cette divergence laisse supposer qu’il existe une erreur profonde dans la manière dont le droit au respect de la vie privée est pris en compte dans l’innovation technologique. À partir d’une approche juridique et technologique, cette thèse cherche à expliquer les raisons de cet échec et propose des pistes juridiques permettant de palier cet écart en redonnant un sens à la notion de vie privée dans le numérique.

Les pays de l’UEMOA, longtemps hostiles aux investissements directs étrangers, sous l’effet conjugué de la globalisation de l’économie et de la pression des institutions de Brettons Woods, ont d’une part, favorisé un accès intérieur aux flux financiers internationaux et d’autre part, offert des incitants fiscaux aux multinationales. Grâce à la libéralisation financière et l’idéologie économique dominante, les multinationales, par différents subterfuges et profitant aussi des handicaps institutionnels et organisationnels des administrations fiscales respectives des pays membres de l’espace UEMOA, échappent à leurs responsabilités fiscales envers ces États. Pour résorber les effets néfastes de l’évasion fiscale des multinationales, les pays de l’espace communautaire UEMOA, doivent mettre un accent particulier sur la modernisation de leurs administrations fiscales d’une part, et d’autre part, insérer dans toutes leurs conventions fiscales, des clauses anti-abus. Enfin, ces États doivent renforcer la lutte contre l’évasion fiscale par une action concertée basée sur une coopération fiscale dans le cadre d’une assistance administrative. The WAEMU countries, long hostile to foreign direct investment, under the combined effect of the globalization of the economy and the pressure of the institutions of Brettons Woods, have in the one hand, favored an internal access to International financial flows and on the other hand, offered tax incentives to multinationals. Thanks to financial liberalization and the prevailing economic ideology, the multinationals, by various subterfuges and taking advantage also of the institutional and organizational handicaps of the respective tax administrations of the member countries of the UEMOA space, escape their fiscal responsibilities towards these states. In order to reduce the harmful effects of tax evasion by multinationals, WAEMU countries must place particular emphasis on the modernization of their tax administrations on the one hand, and on the other hand, to include in all their agreements tax rules, anti-abuse clauses. Finally, these states must strengthen the fight against tax evasion by concerted action based on tax cooperation in the context of administrative assistance

Alors qu'il ressort de la volonté de contrôler les agences de notation financière des initiatives nationales et régionales concrètes, elles ne restent toutefois pas harmonisées. Cette situation n'est cependant pas rédhibitoire. A titre d'exemple, alors que l'UE et les États-Unis disposent tous deux d'un système d'enregistrement distinct des agences afin qu'elles puissent exercer sur leur territoire, il apparaît logique de penser, et donc à terme d'envisager, qu'un enregistrement ou une agrégation universelle constituerait un premier pas fort vers l'harmonisation des réglementations. Il est dans ce cadre possible d'affirmer que l'harmonisation des réglementations américaine et européenne pourrait constituer un premier pas vers un cadre supra-étatique de réglementation des agences de notation financière. Il resterait dès lors à définir si ce sont les standards européens qui s'appliqueraient, ou ceux de la réglementation américaine potentiellement moins ambitieuse. Et encore, cette piste de réflexion serait parfaitement juste si il ne fallait pas également prendre en compte la montée des économies des pays émergents qui souhaitent changer la donne. Il serait donc nécessaire de s'accorder avant tout sur un système convenant à tout un chacun, hypothèse fort difficile mais qui mérite des questionnements. En outre, pour contrôler les agences de notation financière de manière efficace et contraignante (ce que n'est malheureusement pas le Code de bonne conduite de l'OICV), il ne faut pas non plus négliger la possibilité de voir émerger un droit international économique issu de standards financiers. Ce processus ne serait ainsi pas seulement bénéfique dans le cadre de la création d'un contrôle international des agences de notation, il le serait également dans le développement d'un droit international financier contraignant. Dans le cadre des agences de notation, le développement des standards financiers s'est fait en réponse aux besoins des autorités de régulation nationales à la recherche d'un équilibre entre le maintien de la compétitivité de leur place financière et la nécessité d'une stabilité du système financier. Ces standards permettent aux institutions de coopération de se positionner comme des autorités internationales de standardisation pour les secteurs concernés. Ils constituent indubitablement la piste de réflexion la plus sérieuse pour un contrôle international efficace des agences de notation financière.

La responsabilité du transporteur est un des sujets essentiels dans la théorie générale de la responsabilité civile. Cette garantie concerne la responsabilité qu’assume le transporteur vis-à-vis des victimes des activités de transport. Le régime de responsabilité contractuelle du transporteur aérien, objet de cette étude, porte sur les dommages corporels, le retard, les annulations de vol, le refus d’embarquement, la perte et l’avarie de marchandises ou bagages. Lors des procès en responsabilité civile contre des compagnies aériennes, les tribunaux maliens n’appliquent presque pas les Conventions de Varsovie et Montréal. En outre le tribunal de première instance et le tribunal de commerce de Bamako se sont déclarés compétents pour des affaires de même nature avec pour conséquence de larges contrariétés jurisprudentielles. Enfin d’une juridiction à une autre, les magistrats ne s’accordent pas sur l’application et surtout le sens ces conventions internationales. De ce fait, se posent dans les tribunaux maliens des soucis d’interprétation des textes internationaux concernant la responsabilité contractuelle du transporteur aérien. The liability of the carrier is one of the essential topics in the general theory of civil liability. This guarantee concerns the liability assumed by the carrier facing the victims of transport. The air carrier's contractual liability regime, which is the subject of this study, deals with injury, delay, cancellation of flights, denied boarding, loss and damage of goods or baggage. In civil liability suits against airlines, Malian courts hardly apply the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions. In addition, the Court of first Instance and the Commercial Court of Bamako have both declared themselves competent for cases of the same nature, this resulting in wide jurisprudential contradictions as consequence. Finally, from one jurisdiction to another, judges do not agree on the application and especially the meaning of these international conventions; thus, misinterpretation of international texts concerning the contractual liability of the air carrier frequently occurs in Malian courts.

Les relations de travail offshore constituent le creuset de nombreuses problématiques juridiques contemporaines. Elles se trouvent au carrefour de réflexions sur la responsabilité des entreprises transnationales, la mobilité des travailleurs, l’appréhension des activités industrielles à risques illimités et sur la nature des règles de droit. Cette étude aborde ces questions avec le souci méthodologique initial de présenter le pluralisme institué. La présence en mer, les spécificités du travail et du lieu de travail entretiennent des rapports qui déterminent un premier cadre d’analyse. Ce rapport fondateur entre la plateforme offshore et les travailleurs s’inscrit dans un réseau contractuel d’entreprises au sein duquel les États d’accueil et certaines entreprises transnationales jouent les premiers rôles. Cette étude entend faire le lien entre le pluralisme tel qu’il est institué et tel qu’il peut être régulé. Le paradigme contractuel a opéré un décentrement normatif de l’État d’accueil vers les opérateurs principaux, qui sont désormais en charge d’assurer certaines fonctions sociales a priori exorbitantes de leur objet. L’instrument contractuel s’est également trouvé au centre de la répartition des pouvoirs au sein du réseau d’entreprises. Il a favorisé l’émergence de normes privées stimulée par l’autonomie des parties. Ces normes encadrent le travail sur les plateformes offshore et ouvrent sur les aménagements du droit de la responsabilité. Dans ce cadre, la dernière partie de cette étude envisage les mécanismes de responsabilité et leur mise en oeuvre à travers l’approfondissement d’un droit international privé pluraliste fondé sur les relations de travail. Offshore transnational employment relations are the meltingpot of many contemporary legal issues. They are at thecrossroads of considerations on transnational corporates’responsibility, on the diversity of ways of working, on theindustrial activities with infinite risks, and on the nature ofthe rule of law. This work treats these questions with theinitial methodological aim to show the established legalpluralism. Being on the sea, the work technicalities, theworking place particularities, develop relations which definea first level of analysis. This founding relationship betweenthe offshore platform and the workers is in the middle of anexus of contracts where host countries and sometransnational companies are playing the main roles. Thisstudy aims to make the link between the establishedpluralism, and the way pluralism can be regulated. Thecontractual paradigm lead to a legal deregulation from thehost state to the main operators, which are now in charge totake care of social matters which are a priori not of theirobject. The governance by contract was also in the center ofthe corporates’ network organization. It was incentive to theappearance of private norms which are stimulated by partyautonomy. These norms regulating the offshore employmentrelations show the necessity of adjusting both tort law andcontract law. Regarding this, the last part of this studyconsiders the legal responsibilities mechanisms and theirimplementation throughout a pluralist private internationallaw based on the employment relations.