The International Political Economy of Intellectual Property Rights

This book investigates the realm of intellectual property rights (IPRs) within the context of international political economy. In particular, it examines the extent to which powerful interest groups, such as pharmaceutical multinational companies, influence the political dynamism underlying the field of IPRs. Meir Perez Pugatch argues that a pure economic approach does not provide a sufficient or satisfactory explanation for the creation of intellectual property rights, most notably patents. The author instead suggests that a dynamic approach, based on the international political economy of interest groups and systemic outcomes, provides a better starting point for explaining how the international intellectual property agenda is determined.

The book explores the manner in which the R&D-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe organised and operated between 1995 and 1999 in order to secure its interests with regard to the agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs) of the World Trade Organisation.

The International Political Economy of Intellectual Property Rights will be warmly welcomed by scholars, practitioners, and government officials interested in the fields of international trade and intellectual property policy, intellectual property law and international business. The potential readership is as likely to come from developed as from developing countries. The latter may find the process of IP policy making of particular interest and relevance given current international IP developments.