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Carlos M. Correa

September 2012

TRIPS-Related Patent Flexibilities and Food Security: Options For Developing Countries - Policy Guide

Food security is  as a pressing global challenge. Agricultural innovation is critical to addressing it. Equally important is ensuring that the benefits of such innovation are widely diffused, especially in developing countries.

How should countries design their intellectual property (IP) system to encourage and support agricultural innovation?  

The TRIPS Agreement provides WTO Members with flexibility to implement IP provisions in a way consistent with their agriculture and food security objectives. Yet these flexibilities have received little attention so far.

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January 2005

The Politics and Practicalities of a Disclosure of Origin Obligation

QUNO - Occasional Paper 16

This paper examines some issues that may influence the establishment of an internationally binding disclosure of origin obligation, and suggests possible strategies to achieve the developing countries’ objective. To this end, it addresses a number of political and practical questions that seem relevant.

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November 2001

Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property

Debate about the impact of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has broadened since publication of our earlier discussion paper on Trade, Intellectual Property, Food and Biodiversity* in February 1999. One area of concern is its impact on traditional and indigenous knowledge (TK). This paper discusses a number of policy issues surrounding the protection of TK that may be relevant to future negotiations or a deeper treatment of this issue in various international fora.

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