The Case for Waiving Intellectual Property Protection for Covid-19 Vaccines

The 1995 agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is a key legal instrument that harmonises intellectual property (IP) protection by imposing binding obligations on member countries to ensure a minimum level of protection and enforcement of IP rights in their territories. [1] As a part of the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s legal regime, the TRIPS agreement also polices the enforcement of IP rights through a compulsory and enforceable dispute settlement mechanism.