The Implementation Game: The TRIPS Agreement and the Global Politics of Intellectual Property Reform in Developing Countries

428 Pages·2009·3.8 MB·English

by  Carolyn Deere

The Implementation Game
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The Implementation
Game
The TRIPS Agreement and the Global
Politics of Intellectual Property Reform
in Developing Countries
Carolyn Deere
1
3
GreatClarendonStreet,Oxfordox26DP
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Deere,Carolyn.
Theimplementationgame:thetripsagreement,developingcountriesandthe
globalpoliticsofintellectualproperty/CarolynDeere.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–19–955061–6
1. AgreementonTrade-RelatedAspectsofIntellectualPropertyRights(1994)
2. Intellectualproperty(Internationallaw) 3. Foreigntraderegulation.
I.Title.
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Tomyfamily
Preface
This book is the product of both scholarly research and a decade of profes-
sional involvement in global policy debates on trade, intellectual property
(IP), and sustainable development. My goal has been to write a book that
captures what those closest to TRIPS implementation know first hand while
employingscholarlymethodstohelpmakesenseofthatexperience.Theout-
comeis,Ihopeabookthatbothappealstothoseworkinginthepolicyarena
andiscompellingtoscholarsofinternationalrelations,politicaleconomyand
internationallaw.
MyinterestinIPdebatesbeganasaWarrenWeaverFellowattheRockefeller
FoundationinNewYork.Atthattime,SusanSechlergavemetheopportunity
toworkwithAnthonySo,PeterMatlon,andJoanShigekawatobuildagrant-
makingportfoliotopromoteafairercourseforinternationalintellectualprop-
ertypolicy.AcentralpartofthatinitiativewastheBellagioSeriesonIntellec-
tualPropertyandSustainableandDevelopment,whichwelaunchedin2002.
In the subsequent years, the Bellagio Series brought together policymakers,
experts, diplomats, activists, and industry representatives with a variety of
differentperspectivesonglobalIPpolicy.Ihadthegreatprivilegeofattending
many of those meetings and this book draws extensively on conversations
with fellow participants. I left the Rockefeller Foundation convinced of the
need to bring greater transparency and accountability to global IP debates.
After discussion with colleagues and friends, I founded Intellectual Property
Watch,whichisnowtheleadingreportingserviceoninternationalIPpolicy
debates. My research subsequently benefited greatly from its coverage of IP
newsandfromconversationswithitsEditor-in-Chief,WilliamNew.
Thisbookalsoreflectspersonalexperienceofseveralhundredconferences,
policy dialogues, strategy meetings, and informal gatherings on IP policy in
developedanddevelopingcountries.Duringthecourseofthisresearch,Ialso
attendedseveralWTOministerialsandregularlyobservedWIPOmeetingson
the WIPO Development Agenda and other issues. My analysis incorporates
personal observations of the political dynamics of these processes and the
playersinthem.
My research also benefited greatly from discussions with colleagues at
the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) in
GenevawhereIserveasaResidentScholar.MyroleasChairoftheBoardof
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Preface
3D→Trade–HumanRights–EquitableEconomy,andparticipationinaninter-
nationalcommisson(sponsoredbytheUKRoyalSocietyofArts)thatdrafted
theAdelphiCharteronCreativity,InnovationandIntellectualPropertyeach
yieldedusefulopportunitiestoshareideaswithexpertsatthecuttingedgeof
debatesonintellectualproperty.
Among the many colleagues and friends whose ideas contributed to this
book, I am particularly grateful to Ahmed Abdel Latif, Alejandro Argumedo,
Leonardo de Athayde, Johannes Bernabe, Thiru Balasubramaniam, James
Boyle,CarlosCorrea,MariaCarmenDominguez,VeraFranz,BrewsterGrace,
ChienYenGoh,RashidKaukab,SoledadLeal,FaizelIsmail,BerniceLee,Jamie
Love, Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Catherine Monagle, Sisule Musungu, Maria
Julia Oliva, Davinia Ovett, Manon Ress, Pedro Roffe, Preeti Saran, Anthony
So, Christophe Spennemann, Matthew Stilwell, Geoff Tansey, David Vivas,
and Martin Watson. The analysis presented in this book also draws on over
150 interviews with individuals actively involved in global IP policy debates
and TRIPS implementation. Appendix 1 lists all interviewees except those
who requested anonymity. In the text, I only cite those who gave advance
permission.
This book builds upon work completed for my doctorate in 2006. The
development of my argument owed a great deal to discussions with my two
doctoralsupervisorsattheUniversityofOxford,AndrewHurrellandKalypso
Nicolaïdis, who provided wonderful advice, feedback, and support through-
out the three years. Together, their knowledge of international relations
scholarship served as a constant reminder that to study at Oxford is a great
privilege. I also thank the Ford Foundation, Oxford University Press and the
Universities UK Overseas Students Award Scheme for their financial support
andUniversityCollegeforgrantingmeaChellgrenScholarship.
At Oxford, I have the very good fortune to work with colleagues at the
GlobalEconomicGovernanceProgramme(GEG)andwithitsDirector,Ngaire
Woods.In2007,whileworkingtocompletethisbook,IlaunchedtheGlobal
Trade Governance Project at GEG, and was spurred on by the collegiality
of Mayur Patel and Arunabha Ghosh. In the course of my research, I also
benefited greatly from thought-provoking exchanges with Frederick Abbott,
Diana Barrowclough, James Boyle, Rashad Cassim, Carlos Correa, Jeremy de
Beer,PeterDrahos,GrahamDutfield,PeterEvans,SuzyFrankel,RichardGold,
RobertHowse,ChristopherMay,NeilNetanel,RuthOkediji,JohnOdell,Louis
Pauly, Susan Sell, Kenneth Shadlen, Richard Steinberg, Robert Wade, Robert
Wolfe,andPeterYu,amongothers.
For reading various drafts of this book, I extend great thanks to Isalene
Bergamaschi, Alec Birkbeck, James Boyle, Caroline Dommen, Donna Green,
ZoeGoodman,MariaIvanova,KaitlinMara,WilliamNew,JohnOdell,Ricardo
Meléndez-Ortiz, Catherine Monagle, Mayur Patel, Matthew Stilwell, Susan
Sell, Ruth Okediji, Pedro Roffe, Gina Vea, David Vivas, Ngaire Woods, and
vii
Preface
Caitlin Zaino. I am especially grateful to Ahmed Abdel Latif who read and
commentedonthefullmanuscript.Ialsobenefitedtremendouslyfromcom-
ments provided by the examiners of my thesis and from an anonymous
reviewer for Oxford University Press. Nicholas Duston, Alicia Santos-Martin,
Pravir Palayathan, Priyanka Debnath, Tomas Felcman, Joshua Miller, Narae
Lee, Allison Tovey, and Eliot Pence all provided valuable research assistance.
AndrewLoweservedasvaluablelong-distanceproofreader.AtOxfordUniver-
sity Press, I also extend my thanks to Dominic Byatt, Lizzy Suffling, Louise
Sprake, and Aimée Wright for guiding this manuscript to completion. The
responsibilityforanyerrorsisofcoursemine.
Looking back, I thank Rolf Willmann for encouraging me to pursue a
doctorate,RamManikkalingamforinterpretingmyfirstmusingsbackinNew
York,andSakikoFukuda-Parrforspurringmetoapply.NancyBirdsall,Gordon
Conway,andDanielEstyeachkindlysupportedmyapplicationtoOxford.
The completion of this book would long since have faltered without the
encouragement of wonderful friends. In Oxford, I have been grateful for
the friendship of Arunabha Ghosh, Leondardo Martinez, Mayur Patel, Kate
Raworth, Kevin Watkins, and especially Ngaire Woods. From across the vast
oceans, I am lucky to have unfailing support from Donna Green, Catherine
Monagle, Maria Ivanova, Joanna Roche, and Allison Tovey. Closer to home,
I am deeply grateful to my friends in Geneva, especially Diana Barrow-
clough, Caroline Dommen, Erica Harper, Leslie Jones, Richardo Meléndez-
Ortiz, Matthew Stilwell, and Gina Vea. I owe a special debt to Ahmed, who
promised to show me the North African desert sky when my doctorate was
completed,andtoGinaforsharingwithmetheplacewheretheangelsplay.
Throughouttheprocessofwritingmydoctorateandthencompletingthis
book, my parents were amazing. My father was my long-distance technical
support team. My mother showed extraordinary patience and attention to
detail in helping with my bibliography (in the process becoming one of the
world’sfewexpertsonEndnotes!).Icannotthankthemenough.
Finally,Ithankmyamazingpartner,AnthonyAlexander,forhisencourage-
ment,patience,andloveasthehoursIspentfinishingthisbookturnedinto
months.ThisbookisdedicatedtoAlecandtomyparents.
February2008
viii
Contents
ListofFigureandTables xi
ListofAbbreviations xiii
1. TheTRIPSImplementationGame:AFightforIdeas 1
1.1. AnIntroductiontothePoliticsofIPandTRIPS 5
1.2. VariationinTRIPSImplementation 12
1.3. ExistingLiteratureandPopularNarratives 14
1.4. ExplainingVariationinTRIPSImplementation 17
1.5. WhyThisBookMatters 21
1.6. MethodsandSources 24
1.7. Scope 25
2. DevelopingCountriesintheGlobalIPSystem 34
2.1. TheColonialEra:VariationandExternalControl 34
2.2. ThePost-colonialEra:ReformandResistance 37
2.3. TheCounteroffensiveforStrongerIPProtection 46
2.4. ImplementationAmidstContestation 56
3. VariationinTRIPSImplementation(1995–2007) 64
3.1. TheTRIPSOutcome 64
3.2. VariationintheTimingofTRIPSImplementation 70
3.3. VariationinIPStandardsandUseofTRIPSFlexibilities 74
3.4. ATypologyofVariation 97
3.5. AnEconomicExplanation? 99
3.6. TheCaseforPoliticalAnalysis 104
4. Post-TRIPSTensionsandGlobalIPDebates 113
4.1. ThePushforTRIPS-Plus 114
4.2. TheResurgenceofDevelopingCountryConfidence 118
4.3. GrowingComplexityintheGlobalIPSystem 129
4.4. ExpandingTeamsofPlayers 133
4.5. Conclusion 142
5. InternationalPressuresonDevelopingCountries 150
5.1. EconomicPressure 151
ix