The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in the Development Process, with Some Lessons from Developed Countries: An Introduction

Abstract

This first chapter sets out the purpose of the book, which is to analyze the impact of diverse intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes on the process of development. The relationship between IPR and development has been viewed as a matter of concern over the last decade and a half. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it has become increasingly noted that a gap in knowledge separates developed from developing countries, and that inappropriately designed IPR regimes can present an important impediment to closing the knowledge gap, and therefore to development. Secondly, the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Agreements (TRIPS) of the Uruguay Round imposed a Western-style IPR regime on developing countries, one which many developing countries were concerned might impede their access to knowledge, and thus their development