다자간ㆍ양자간 국제거래 협정에서의 전자적 전송물의 분류문제

It is expected that new business models are developing and additional value is more increasing than before in many industrial levels through ICT(Information Communication Technology). Digital technology is considered as a very important factor in the industrial competitiveness like a e-Learning in educational industry. Goods & services which were provided in the time of analog now are converting into digital and the global trade of electronic transmissions is very active. Usually WTO has discussed electronic transmissions in the 2 viewpoints. One is imposing customs and the other is classification problem. Unlike imposing customs, it is so hard to harmonize each country benefits among many members that there is no advance the classification problem. In other words the application of GATT -electronic transmissions are regarded goods- and the application of GATS -electronic transmissions are regarded services-are parallel lines until now. But FTA(Free Trade Agreement) raises the issues of classification problem on electronic transmissions so we should need the study about that. U.S. which have super powers in digital contents use FTA as a good laboratory and made important precedents that guarantee free trading of digital products not harming WTO system. Republic of Korea set up free digital contents trading through FTA betwween U.S. and R.O.K in 2007. Culture & Digital contents are presumptive next-generation growth energy in our country, so we should keep these viewpoints another following FTA. We can expect the quick determination on the electronic transmissions classification problem hardly in WTO. In this situation the discussing on that theme in FTA between WTO members is estimated a new try to improve the existing stalemate in WTO.