The Trick Is In The Treaty Text

When rich nations insist on patent linkage provisions in bilateral and regional trade pacts here is a way out

- Latha Jishnu

THERE ARE many ways in which the canny developed nations have sought to use intellectual property (IP) laws to impose huge burdens on poor nations over and above what is mandated by the World Trade Organization requirements known as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS ). Developed countries try to impose higher standards of IP protection, or TRIPS plus, in bilateral and regional trade agreements and their impact is primarily felt in the health sector. Such requirements are intended to protect the profits of multinational pharma firms by preventing the entry of generic versions of a patented product that are infinitely less expensive.