|
|
|
Map of South America |
Email this citationCIAO DATE: 7/00
Intellectual Property, Trade, and Economic Development: A Road Map for the FTAA Negotiations
Robert M. Sherwood
Carlos A. Primo Braga
North South Center
University of Miami
September, 1996
Abstract
Intellectual property (IP) protection is becoming increasingly crucial in the context of new international commitments, the competition for private investments, and global "technology racing." This paper examines the common base for a Western Hemisphere IP arrangement and notes the most prominent existing regional integration accords that include IP commitments. It assesses the recent Trade Related Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Agreement negotiated during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
The authors discuss possible negotiating objectives, highlight a dozen "tough issues" faced by negotiators, and offer a road map in preparation for IP arrangements within a Free Trade Area of the Americas. They propose that an IP regime be considered with a primary objective of stimulating investment, which they maintain ultimately would yield the greatest benefits to the countries of the Western Hemisphere.
