INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY-RIGHTS AND NATIONAL-DEVELOPMENT

Tracing the historic perspective of the industrial development in the West, the author drives home clearly how an easy access to emerging technologies had assisted the rapid transformation of the rich countries of the North and how the poor nations of the South lagged behind. The IPR promulgated in the Paris Convention in no small measure constrained the acquisition and development of technologies in the Third World countries. The review focuses attention to the problems of the South through IPR providing protection to intellectual property, industrial processes, patents, etc. Consequently, Third World nations (Group of 77) have joined hand in revolting in the 1986 Uruguay Round of GATT, and in particular to modify the IPR system to provide some relief. But they were thwarted in their attempts in this and in all subsequent meetings of the international forums by the West. Another setback to the cause of Third World through political developments was the steady dismantling of Communist Block, notably the Soviet Union. Hence the cherished dream of South for more congenial legal framework under GATT and IPR could not materialize, despite vigorous campaigning. The West tried to resolve the deadlock through an half-hearted measure the so-called Dunkel Draft Proposals. The author points out serious lacunae in the draft policy and emphasizes that it is still discriminatory in nature.