Interllecual Property Rights
1st NUSRL IPR Essay Writing Competition’12 increased protection of knowledge linked to genetic resources from plants, animals and micro-organisms. Bilateral agreements encourage countries to join the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties (UPOV) Convention. The UPOV Convention, formed in 1961, acknowledges breeders of new plant varieties through uniform and clearly defined principles for exclusive property rights, based on criteria that the variety is distinctive, uniform, stable and novel.33
33 Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, 2002.
34 The Light Years project and in a recent World Bank report (Barconcelli et al., 2004).
Geographical Indications are a second measure used to protect diversity in access and benefit-sharing in developing countries. With GIs, this is achieved by making provision for a price premium for the goods produced in a specific locality. Producers in developing countries have begun to use certification marks to develop brands and protection for their products, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee or Juan Valdez and Café de Colombia. In addition, as evident in, rural communities34 in developing countries have developed quality brands through interactions between local know-how and particular environmental conditions.
CONCLUSION
The essay emphasises on the effect of IPRs in developing countries in the context of the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the development of TRIPS-plus standards. TRIPS encouraged the international harmonisation of IPR regimes by providing a minimum standard of protection for IP, and a dispute resolution system for entities to challenge breaches of these standards. Since the establishment of TRIPS, there has been an increase in the number of new deals formed through bilateral and regional free trade agreements to strengthen these minimum standards of protection, the so-called TRIPS-plus standards.
After discussing the impact of strengthening IPRs in developing countries in five main areas
33 Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, 2002.
34 The Light Years project and in a recent World Bank report (Barconcelli et al., 2004).
Geographical Indications are a second measure used to protect diversity in access and benefit-sharing in developing countries. With GIs, this is achieved by making provision for a price premium for the goods produced in a specific locality. Producers in developing countries have begun to use certification marks to develop brands and protection for their products, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee or Juan Valdez and Café de Colombia. In addition, as evident in, rural communities34 in developing countries have developed quality brands through interactions between local know-how and particular environmental conditions.
CONCLUSION
The essay emphasises on the effect of IPRs in developing countries in the context of the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the development of TRIPS-plus standards. TRIPS encouraged the international harmonisation of IPR regimes by providing a minimum standard of protection for IP, and a dispute resolution system for entities to challenge breaches of these standards. Since the establishment of TRIPS, there has been an increase in the number of new deals formed through bilateral and regional free trade agreements to strengthen these minimum standards of protection, the so-called TRIPS-plus standards.
After discussing the impact of strengthening IPRs in developing countries in five main areas