Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction -- 2. TRIPS as competitive and cooperative interpretation / Christopher Arup -- 3. Knowledge diplomacy and the new intellectual property fundamentalism / Graham Dutfield -- 4. Last chance? Multilateralism, TRIPS and developing countries / Xu Yi-chong -- 5. Intellectual property protection after TRIPS : an Asian experience / Jakkrit Kuanpoth -- 6. The development-balance of the TRIPS agreement and enforcement of intellectual property rights / Ermias Tekeste Biadgleng -- 7. The evolution of the CBD's development agenda that may influence the interpretation and development of TRIPS / Charles Lawson and Jay Sanderson -- 8. TRIPS-plus treaty terms : dealing with coercion / Justin Malbon.

This book considers whether the WTO agreement on 'Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights' (TRIPS) will become a vehicle for promoting greater international equity and engagement with the world economy or a tool for wealthy nations to extract excessive rents from poorer countries. Can TRIPS garner the necessary degree of legitimacy and public trust to deliver economic development? Can it become a key instrument for promoting international health and development? In response to these questions, the book proposes interpretive possibilities for the TRIPS' text along with implementation strategies to avoid the threat of its irrelevancy due, amongst other things, to free trade agreements containing TRIPS-plus terms.