Intellectual property rights and globalization: implications for developing countries

Reviews the implications of the agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the World Trade Organization (WTO). It focuses on the national implemention of the TRIPS agreement, technological development, plant variety protection, geopgraphical indications, and biological diversity and the associated indigenous knowledge. The paper argues that efforts to promote compliance with to the TRIPS agreement should be accompanied by measures that address public interest challenges such as health, nutrition and environmental conservation in developing countries. It suggests that addressing these issues will require policy and institutional innovations in the developed and developing countries. While some of the measures can be addressed through multilateral forums, many of them should be addressed through domestic laws and policies designed to foster innnovation and expand international trade. [author]