"This book is designed to be a practical guide to the use of intellectual property as a "power tool" for economic growth and wealth creation. Its aim is to give the interested non-specialist an understanding of how intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks and copyright have become increasi
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ngly valuable assets that can be used in many creative ways to increase material, social and cultural well-being." (Back cover)
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"Too often the interests of the “producer” dominate in the evolution of IP policy, and that of the ultimate consumer is neither heard nor heeded. So policy tends to be determined more by the interests of the commercial users of the system, than by an impartial conception of the greater public go
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od. In IPR discussions between developed and developing countries, a similar imbalance exists. The trade ministries of developed nations are mainly influenced by producer interests who see the benefit to them of stronger IP protection in their export markets, while the consumer nations, mainly the developing countries, are less able to identify and represent their own interests against those of the developed nations. Thus we recognise that the rules and practices of intellectual property, and how they evolve, are the product of political economy. Developing countries - and in particular poor consumers of products which may be protected by IP rights - negotiate from a position of relative weakness. There is a fundamental asymmetry in relationships between developed and developing countries, based ultimately on their relative economic strength.
The negotiations on TRIPS in the Uruguay Round are but one example. Developing countries accepted TRIPS not because at the time the adoption of intellectual property protection was high on their list of priorities, but partly because they thought the overall package offered, including the reduction of trade protectionism in developed countries, would be beneficial. Now many of them feel that the commitments made by developed countries to liberalise agriculture and textiles and reduce tariffs, have not been honoured, while they have to live with the burdens of the TRIPS agreement. The agreement on a new “development” WTO Round at Doha last year recognises that this bargain, between developed and developing countries, needs to be made explicit and meaningful. The difficulty for developing countries in this context is that they are “second comers” in a world that has been shaped by the “first comers”. And because of that, it is a very different world from that in which the “first comers” developed. It is a cliché to say that we live in an age of globalisation, when the world economy is becoming more integrated. It is an article of faith in the international community that integration on appropriate terms into the world economy is a necessary condition for development. The question from our point of view is what are the appropriate terms for that integration in the field of IPRs. Just as the now-developed countries moulded their IP regimes to suit their particular economic, social and technological circumstances, so developing countries should in principle now be able to do the same." (Overview, page 7-8)
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"Case studies and seminar reports are provided that "were presented at an international seminar to examine field experiences in using a culture-based approach to nonformal education. Part 1, containing an introductory paper and nine case studies, 'focuses on indigenous institutions and processes in
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health, family planning, agriculture, basic education, and conscientization. The introductory paper discusses indigenous sociocultural forms as a basis for nonformal education and development. Seven countries are represented in the case studies: Indonesia, Bolivia, Java' (Indonesia), Upper Volta, Botswana, India, and Bali (Indonesia). Section II focuses on the performing arts in both mass campaigns and community nonformal education programs. An introductory paper overviews folk media, popular theater, and conflitting strategies for social change in the Third World. The seven case studies consider the specific strategies used in Brazil, Sierra Leone, China, India, Mexico, Jamaica, arid Africa. Section III contains the seminar reports developed from discussions of the four regional working groups: Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. A summary of plenary discussions is also provided." (ERIC document resumé)
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