TRIPS sets minimum standards for national laws on copyright, patents, trademarks and other forms of intellectual property rights. TRIPS profoundly impacts upon the regulation of access to medicines, compulsory licensing of copyright material, geographical indicators and other significant IP-related matters.

This reference book is a major authoritative work that is clearly organised and presented, allowing users to navigate quickly to commentary on any element of TRIPS. The book begins with a context-setting section, providing guidance on interpreting TRIPS. It considers the salient elements of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the WTO Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, and the preamble to the Agreement Establishing the WTO. The book then follows the seven part structure of TRIPS, and provides an article-by-article analysis of each of its 73 provisions and specifically addresses the interpretation of key phrases in each article.

An essential resource for practitioners and scholars, this detailed and exhaustive volume will also prove invaluable to academics and students of intellectual property law, international law and trade law. It is a first point of reference for anyone needing to know more about TRIPS.

Contents: 1. General Provisions and Basic Principles 2. Standards Concerning the Availability, Scope and Use of Intellectual Property Rights 3. Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights 4. Acquisition and Maintenance of Intellectual Property Rights and Related Inter-Partes Procedures 5. Dispute Prevention and Settlement 6. Transitional Arrangements 7. Institutional Arrangements; Final Provisions