ISDS Case Map
intellectual property
This paper examines the way in which bilateral trade negotiations (Bilateral Investment Treaties and Bilateral Intellectual Property Agreements) are being used by the USA and others to build more extensive protection for intellectual property than that set out in the WTO TRIPS Agreement.
Bilateral agreements are a powerful but hidden tool to achieve uniform market conditions for transnational corporations in developing countries. Silently hammered out between individual governments, they offer a direct means to cut deals over market access privileges, foreign investment, research funding or anchor-free profits.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has ordered the Commerce Ministry to quickly address the issue of intellectual property-right violations to facilitate the creation of the Thailand-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
