Most free trade agreements (FTAs) signed by the United States, the European Union and the members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in the last 15 years contain chapters on intellectual property rights with provisions applicable to pharmaceuticals. Such provisions considerably expand...

IP provisions in FTAs may have implications on a wide range of public policy areas. A vast academic literature has addressed the "flexibilities" available under the TRIPS Agreement and the negative impact of FTAs in relation to access to medicines. For example, the Special Rapporteur on the...

The proliferation of preferential trade agreements in Asia may result in a number of hub-and-spoke configurations, with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, People's Republic of China, and Japan competing as regional hubs of bilateral free trade areas. Using a newly developed global...