The war for intellectual property

Developed countries have new campaigns to dominate global access to knowledge
Latha Jishnu / Business Standard / New Delhi May 9, 2009

At the Geneva headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), skirmishes between rich nations and the developing world take place with predictable regularity. To the outsider, it may seem like a lot of bickering over trifles — working groups setting up contesting agendas, special interest blocs seeking debate on larger issues, etc. But as in all institutions of global policy and regulation everything here is fraught with consequence. What WIPO decides has a direct bearing on the fortunes of a host of industries in the developing world.

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