The Contribution of Intellectual Property Rights to the Economic Growth in Developing Countries: The Case of Tanzania,

This thesis deals with the contribution of the intellectual property rights to the economic growth of developing countries, taking Tanzania as the case study. In the main, it discusses whether the international legal framework providing for intellectual property rights aims at having strengthened economies in the developing countries or otherwise protects economic interests of developed countries at the detriment of the former, by simply reducing them mere markets of industrial products from developed countries. Further, the thesis discusses the efforts laid down by developing countries against the developed ones, to have intellectual property rights’ intended good on a balanced equation, for the benefit of all. Furthermore, on a specific accent, the thesis explores the Tanzanian situation, with regard to the legal framework providing for intellectual property rights. This aims at establishing whether non beneficial or otherwise, extracted from intellectual property rights, depends on the Tanzania legal regime or imbedded within the hidden intents of the international intellectual property rights systems. In this regard, the thesis chapters are as follows: Chapter One: the general introduction; Chapter Two: genesis of intellectual property rights; Chapter Three: the intellectual property organizations and their mandate for economic growth; Chapter Four: the Uruguay Round Negotiations and reactions from the developing countries; Chapter Five: the contribution of intellectual property rights to the economic growth; and Chapter Six: the general observations, conclusions and recommendations