Intellectual Property Rights Agreements

Abstract

This article examines intellectual property rights agreements within the context of economic globalization and the global trading system, with particular attention to the relationship between intellectual property protection and the interests of developed and developing countries. The author argues that international legal instruments, especially the TRIPS Agreement, do not operate within a neutral legal space, but are shaped by economic and political power relations that affect developing countries’ access to knowledge and technology. The article discusses the ethical and legal dilemmas raised by these agreements, particularly when the protection of rights becomes a means of expanding the influence of industrialized states and multinational corporations, while restricting scientific research, industrial development, and technology transfer in the Global South. It also addresses the technical and political obstacles facing developing countries, including the high cost of knowledge, patent restrictions, weak bargaining power, and unequal implementation burdens. The article concludes that intellectual property protection should be understood through a more equitable framework that balances the rights of creators and producers with societies’ rights to development and access to knowledge.