Post Saddam Restructuring of Intellectual Property Rights in Iraq Through a Case Study of Current Intellectual Property Practices in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, 6 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 250 (2007)

When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, it did so with the ambitious goal to completely transform an isolationist government into an international democracy. The Coalition forces created laws designed to conform Iraq to international standards, including three Orders tracking the language of the WTO and its IP enforcement mechanism, the TRIPs Agreement. These standards, however, are often inapposite of unique cultural and religious beliefs of an Arab Middle Eastern country that views ideas, concepts, and knowledge as communal. This comment analyzes similarly situated countries in various stages of dealing with the transition and suggests affirmative steps to expedite the process. Finally, this comment concludes that for a seamless transition into the global economy, Iraq should be supplied aid to acclimate its judiciary, attorneys, and citizenry to these new standards and allowed a reservation in Iraq’s accession agreement regarding the patenting of seeds