Introduction

Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement is the most wide-ranging and influential multilateral treaty to date in the field of intellectual property. Meanwhile, multilateral, plurilateral, and mega-regional trade agreements have ratcheted up the standards of IP protection beyond those stipulated by the TRIPS Agreement. In all, the TRIPS agreement exacerbated the access to lifesaving pharmaceuticals into a global concern from what was essentially a poor country issue. The structural paradigm of trade and the TRIPS agreement invigorated the next set of actors, particularly invested developing countries and committed civil societies. For developing countries and civil society groups aligned with the views of developing countries, the TRIPS Agreement mirrored the interests of global corporate actors in developed countries. As the world globalized and harmonized internationally, one key event showcased the disparities and limitations of the TRIPS agreement in the context of access to medicine. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.