TRIPS and Technology Transfer (Paperback)

Since the 1970s, developing countries have expressed their concern about access to foreign technologies for economic development. In response, developed countries argued during the TRIPS negotiations that strengthening and expanding the protection of intellectual property rights was a key condition to promote increased flows of technology transfer. In result, TRIPS Agreement transformed the international intellectual property protection system. But In recent years, developing countries have expressed considerable concern that only one side of the Agreement's objectives i.e. 'protection of technology assets' are pursued by developed country members, while the other objectives of 'transfer and dissemination of technology' relegated to a secondary. This book, therefore, assesses whether TRIPS Agreement is likely to facilitate access to technology, and promote economic development, in developing and least- developed countries. This book, because of its contents and coverage, should be of interest to a wider range of readers including researchers, academics, diplomats and policy-makers in general.