Intellectual property rights in regional trade agreements of Asia-Pacific economies

Findings validate the notion that pressure to include Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in trade agreements originates from developed countries. Using the measure of impact explained in more detail in the paper, it can be shown that Australia, the United States and the European Union display a pattern of aligning with high-impact IPR standards in trade agreements, whereas developing countries do not seek this type of inclusion when negotiating trade with another developing country. To enable vulnerable countries to better orient their IPR legislation with their developmental needs, global IPR norms-setting activities need to move back to forums equipped with checks and balances