The politics of international intellectual property law

Few areas of international law are more intensely political and contested than intellectual property law. Over the past 20 years, controversies over access to medicines, Internet freedom, and privacy have all sparked massive protests and mobilized transnational opposition to overly strong property rights. For their part, rights holders have pushed hard to extend the reach and enforceability of their rights. Both intellectual property rights advocates and those seeking greater legal flexibility and increased access to intellectual property have engaged in high-stakes legal and political battles. This chapter examines the actors, their interests, the rules and institutions that shape these ongoing dynamics. It discusses the governance system for international intellectual property policy and the stages of its evolution.