Timely and equitable access to vaccines and other health technologies is vital in effectively responding to pandemics and treating other communicable diseases. This paper shows how countries might overcome real or purported intellectual property (IP) barriers to regional COVID-19 vaccine...

This paper studies the incentives that developing countries have to protect intellectual properties rights (IPR). On the one hand, free-riding on rich countries technology reduces their investment cost in R&D. On the other hand, firm that violates IPR cannot legally export in a country that...

Despite the emphasis of international IP treaties, such as the TRIPS Agreement, on common minimum IP standards, considerable diversity exists among developing countries regarding the nature and scope of IP standards, approaches to administration and enforcement, and the responsiveness of...

The impact of parallel trade on innovation in R&D-intensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals, is a hotly debated question in antitrust and IP policy. The well known argument that parallel trade dampens innovation by undermining firms' ability to price discriminate has been challenged by...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused Governments to contemplate measures to override patents and other intellectual property rights (IPRs) in order to facilitate production and distribution of vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and medical devices. This paper discusses whether the COVID-19 pandemic...

Intellectual Property Rights (“IPR”) can be regarded as an incentive for an inventor or an author, granted or recognized by a state. IPR are enforceable erga omnes within the boundaries of the state. Member States of the Paris Convention Union and other relevant conventions are expected to...

The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) has continued to be fiercely debated between North and South, particularly with respect to its provisions for the agricultural sector. Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS Agreement requires WTO member countries to off er...