This book examines how intellectual property rights (IPR) affect the daily lives of individuals worldwide and how that may in turn impact the health and wealth of nations. While the protection of the intellectual endeavours of authors and inventors is vital for a fair and just society it is important that the IPR regime remains flexible enough to encourage creativity, innovation and the free flow of information and technology that are critical to the well being of billions of people, especially in the developing world. This work examines the implications of the IPR regime for basic human security. It examines the relationship between IPR regime and fundamental human rights, such as the right to education, health and food, and the broader right to development. This book will be of interest to IP scholars, international relations specialists and international security analysts, in particular those interested in non-traditional security issues. It may also serve as resource book for the international business community on developmental and human rights aspects of IP.

Dr. Robin Ramcharan, LLM, is Professor of International Relations and Law with Alliance University College of Law in Bangalore, India. He also teaches in the School of Business at Alliance. Previously, he was with the University of Toronto, Brock University and the Royal Military College in Canada and worked for six years in the Worldwide Academy of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, in the area of cooperation for development. Robin Ramcharan also worked for the World Economic Forum and is Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Gomez Centre, a human rights consultancy in Bangkok, Thailand.

Introduction.- Intellectual Property and Human Security.- The International Intellectual Property Regime.- Human Security Aspects of the Intellectual Property Regime.- Imperatives of the Right to Development.- IP, Human Rights and Human Security.- A Human Security Perspective for International Business Organizations.- The Protection of Traditional Knowledge in Africa, Asia and Latin America.- The Development Agenda of WIPO.- Proposal for an International Equity Panel in WIPO.- Conclusion.