The Role of International Institutions in Intellectual Property Politics

Abstract

Intellectual property is a highly internationalized policy field. It is an example of very early internationalization with the Berne copyright convention and Paris patent treaty stemming from the end of the 19th century. Over the years a number of complementing and competing international organizations and institutional arrangements have been set up to oversee the growing number of treaties and agreements that govern various aspects of intellectual property rights, notably the World Intellectual Property Organization and the WTO TRIPS Council. But despite this strong internationalization many commentators still see intellectual property politics as mainly driven by the national interests of a small number of industrialized countries from the northern hemisphere. The panel analyzes this interplay between national politics and internationalization in the field of intellectual property by addressing the following questions: • Which role do specific international institutions play in the field of IP politics? What are the consequences of overlapping competences between different international institutions? • How do nation states and international institutions interact in different settings? Do international institutions become independent actors or are they simply tools in the hands of the most powerful nation states? • How should we judge the more recent development to sidestep relatively inclusive international organizations with plurilateral treaties (especially trade agreements)? The panel will bring together experts in the field of IP politics in order to foster cooperation and exchange in this still under-researched policy field.

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