bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

intellectual property


Regional and bilateral treaties and a TRIPS-plus world: the Free Trade Area of the Americas
In these issues papers, authors are invited to examine a subject of importance in the developing international intellectual property regime and highlight key issues they see arising. The topics have been chosen following consultations with negotiators from developing countries, and respond to their concerns.
Bilateralism in intellectual property
This paper examines the way in which bilateral trade negotiations (Bilateral Investment Treaties and Bilateral Intellectual Property Agreements) are being used by the USA and others to build more extensive protection for intellectual property than that set out in the WTO TRIPS Agreement.
TRIPS-plus through the backdoor
Bilateral agreements are a powerful but hidden tool to achieve uniform market conditions for transnational corporations in developing countries. Silently hammered out between individual governments, they offer a direct means to cut deals over market access privileges, foreign investment, research funding or anchor-free profits.
PM urges US-type rules
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has ordered the Commerce Ministry to quickly address the issue of intellectual property-right violations to facilitate the creation of the Thailand-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).