ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the emergence of Trade-Related Aspects of IP Protection (TRIPS) agreement, focusing on its origins, its adoption and its aftermath. It argues that corporate actors, based in the United States, are largely responsible for TRIPS and highlights their political strategies before, during, and after the adoption of TRIPS. The chapter provides a brief overview of TRIPS origins in the 1970's and early 1980's. It examines the Uruguay Round negotiations leading to the adoption of TRIPS. The chapter addresses post-TRIPS political strategies of US-based corporate actors in promoting IP protection. It also highlights emerging challenges to TRIPS. The World Trade Organization (WTO) provides an additional and crucial resource for the global regulation of IP. Since the adoption of TRIPS the American IP activists have remained vigilant in monitoring the implementation and compliance of TRIPS worldwide. TRIPS has galvanized an increasingly vociferous and mobilized civil society campaign to temper the previously unchecked industry dominance over the intellectual property agenda.
