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Policy Discussion Paper
Intellectual Property Rights: Implications
for Development
This policy discussion paper (156 pages) is one
of the products of the joint UNCTAD-ICTSD
Project on Intellectual Property Rights and Sustainable Development.
It is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the
key policy issues raised by intellectual property rights (IPRs)
and their impact on economic development, poverty alleviation
and sustainable human environment.
Part One provides a general explanation of the rationale behind
IPRs and their evolution, as well as an overview of the multilateral
system for their protection. These international rules have important
socio-economic implications that are dealt with in Parts Two and
Three. Part Two addresses some broad cross-cutting issues that
constitute the basic premises behind the adoption of stronger
IPR regimes in developing countries, such as the fostering of
innovation and creativity as well as access to and use of new
technologies. Finally, Part Three discusses the impact of new
IPR standards on specific areas of concern for developing countries,
namely: health; food, agriculture and biodiversity; traditional
knowledge and folklore; and access to knowledge and educational,
technical and scientific information. Parts Two and Three therefore
analyse in more depth some of the issues addressed in Part One.
