The International Climate Change Negotiations and Intellectual Property: Another Climate Change Risk?

In the context of ongoing negotiations to supplement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), many developing countries, including China and India, are making proposals that, if accepted, would undermine important intellectual property rights needed to provide sustainable incentives to develop climate-related technology. These proposals may also redefine key principles contained in international intellectual property agreements, including the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).